07 janvier 2009

The influence of first name on personality

Dear all,

One studied topic during the English circle last year concerned the influence of first name on personality and especially life.

An extract from an article published by the Herald Tribune published on November 10th, 2008 explained how Barack Obama's popularity sparked a new baby craze in Kenya.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/10/america/10babies.php

Indeed, more than half of the male babies born at a hospital in Kisumu province on the day of the US election were named Barack. Kisumu is the area where Obama's father came from.
We can notice the same phenomenon with "Obama" as in Swahili, this name means 'blessed one'.

Many parents called also their newborn daughters Michelle, the name of Barack Obama's wife.
The new elected President has become a real national hero in Kenya.

To tell the truth, it is not unusual for parents to name their children after actors, pop stars or sport heroes.
Maybe due to the fact the parents hope their children to have a magic or successful destiny.

Another article from the BBC Magazine points out the perception of who you are can be influenced by your first name.
The title is relevant: "Would he be even more handsome called Ryan" and we can find the picture... of George Clooney, THE gorgeous man...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7312412.stm

Is it your case? What is the meaning of your first name? You can discover it on the interesting website:
http://www.babynames.com/

VOCABULARY LINKED TO NAMES
- pen/assumed name : an author's pseudonym
- first name: given name - the name that precedes the surname
- given name: Christian name
- maiden name: a lady's surname before marriage
- married name: name of the husband

EXPRESSION WITH MIND
- to change one's mind about sth: to change your opinion on (changer d'avis sur)
- to keep an open mind about sth: need to assess the situation before giving ideas (reserver son jugement sur)
- to make up one's mind about sth: to take a decision on (se decider a propos de)

BABY - Spend one minute writing down all the different words you associate with the word "baby"
Here are the answers (from the interesting website http://www.wordreference.com):

- babysitter: a person engaged to care for children when the parents are not home
- bottle: the glass including the milk for baby
- to breast: either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman
- to suckle: suck milk from the mother's breasts; "the infant was suckling happily"
- bib: a napkin tied under the chin a child while eating
- rattle: a baby's toy that makes percussive noises when shaken
- nappy: garment consisting of a folded cloth drawn up between the legs and fastened at the waist; worn by infants to catch excrement
- formula: a liquid food for infants
- leggings: a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
- sling: bandage to support an injured forearm; consisting of a wide triangular piece of cloth hanging from around the neck
- to rock / cradle: hold gently and carefully; "He cradles the child in his arms"
- to teethe: grow teeth; cut the baby teeth; "The little one is teething now"
- to gurgle: make sounds similar to gurgling water; "The baby gurgled with satisfaction when the mother tickled it"
- to crawl: a slow creeping mode of locomotion (on hands and knees or dragging the body); "a crawl was all that the injured man could manage"; "the traffic moved at a creep"
- to deliver: to give birth
- to be expecting a baby : to be pregnant

Hope you enjoyed this scheme ;-)

With best wishes,
ceraulen

06 janvier 2009

Happy New Year 2009!

Dear all,

How are you?
Pleased to write a short message to wish you all the best for 2009!
Prosperity in spite of the financial crisis, success and happiness! More humanity and sharing, more time to listen and take care of the others.

For Chinese people, the "9" figure sounds like the "longlasting" word (jiu). That is why it can be considered as a "lucky" number even if the "8" was much better.
The proof: the opening of the Olympic games in Beijing (Peking) on August 8th, 2008 at 8:08 PM as the "8" sounds similar to the word which means "fortune", "prosperity" or "wealth".

This year will be the Ox Year for Asian people.
Let us read some interesting articles on this matter:

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12833897
http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/more_zodiacs/ox.htm
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art60143.asp

Hope to share with you soon different views.

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

24 mars 2008

Personality traits

Dear all,

Hope you enjoyed the Eastern week-end. I visited my parents in North of France, closed to Lille. We will talk shortly about the "Ch'ti" culture and film which is a real success!

Well, in the meanwhile, let us introduce personality traits linked to two documents.
The first one is an extract from the "www.Usingenglish.com" website and I found an interesting text from Hui Yen Yu.

Birth order factor and your personality: 8 facts that might surprise you 

Only Children

Positives: Only children are the movers and shakers- task-orientated, highly organised, conscientious and reliable. They like concrete facts and details, and are comfortable with responsibility.

 Negatives: The negative characteristics of only children can be difficult to put up with. Often unforgiving, they can be demanding and unwilling to admit it when they're wrong. They generally don't accept criticism too well. Other people mqay think of them as sensitive and indeed, their feelings are easily hurt.

 
First-borns

Positives: Natural leaders, first-borns are often high achievers- many politicians, spokespersons and managing directors are first-borns. They frequently have a sense of entitlement and possibly superiority. Some are compliant nurturers/caregivers, while others are aggressive movers and shakers. They are both in control, but use different methods. Generally, first-borns are picky, precise people that pay heed to details, tending to be punctual, competent and organised. They want to see things done correctly first time around and dislike surprises.

Negatives: They are frequently moody, and they occasionally lack sensitivity. They can be intimidating, especially by pushing people too hard or refusing to take no for an answer. They are sometimes a bit 'know-it-all' and are often poor at delegating – mainly because they don't trust others as much as themselves. They also tend to be bossy perfectionists and overly conscientious.

 

Middle-Borns

Positives: The classic middle child is very relational; a people-pleaser who usually dislikes confrontation. They basically need to keep life smooth, and their motto might be 'peace at any price'. They are usually very calm, will roll with the punches as amiable, down-to-earth people and great listeners. They are skilled at seeing both sides of a problem and keen to make everybody happy, making them good mediators and negotiators.

Negatives: They tend to be less ambitious or driven than first-borns, but much more eager to be liked― or, at least, to be happy with other people. They can have a difficult time setting boundaries, so they can drift into 'co-dependence' by trying to please everyone. They are not good at making decisions which offend others and tend to blame themselves for the failures of others.
 

Last-Borns
 
Positives: Last-borns are the cheerleaders of the world. They have good social skills and love to entertain and talk to other people. They make friends readily, and quickly make others feel at home. They’re extrovert, energised by the presence of other people and probably not afraid of taking risks.

Negatives: Last-borns often tend to get bored fast. They are fearful of rejection and have a short attention span. When the fun stops, they've had enough and want to check out. To some extent they're self-centred. They can harbour unrealistic expectations of finding a relationship that’s always fun, and, of course, such relationships simply do not last.  

How do you fit into the mix? Do you think your birth order has influenced your personality?

VOCABULARY LIST

- dependable:  good/safe/honest: fiable, sûr, honnête
- responsible: trustworthy: sérieux / fiable
- achiever: réalisateur (personne efficace)
- cautious: unwilling to risk/pride,t/conservative: prudent, précautionneux
- spoilt: gâté
- objective: concret
- demanding: difficult: exigeant, éprouvant
- conscientious: conscientieux, soigneux
- self-confident: sûr de soi, plein d’aplomb
- humourous : comique
- diligent :  appliqué
- uncomplicated: facile
- outgoing: sortant (qui aime aller à l’extérieur)
- event-empered : d’humeur égale
- easygoing :  serein, facile à vivre
- peacemaker: pacificateur
- bossy:  autoritaire, despotique
- intimidating: intimidant
- studious: studieux
- messy: désordonné
- picky:  méticuleux
- unforgiving:  impitoyable
- moody: humeur noire
- selfish: égoïste
- spokesperson: porte-parole
- managing director: gérant
- entitlement: droit
- compliant: obeisant, conciliant
- to nurture: faire éclore, encourager
- caregiver:  travailleur social
- to pay heed to: payer attention à
- to tend to: avoir tendance à
- know-it-all: tout savoir
- overly: exagérement
- smooth: lisse, calme
- boundaries:  confines d’un territoire
- to drift to: glisser
- failure: échec
- cheerleader:  pom-pom girl, majorette
- to entertain: s’amuser
- fearful: craintif
- span:  durée
- to check out:  régler la note
- to harbour: entretenir, nourrir

 

Another way to describe personality is an amazing way coming from Japan...
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art22988.asp

Personality Traits By Blood Type - A Japanese Concept
Guest Author - Melanie Shintaku

Beginning in approximately 1930, the Japanese embraced the idea of matching personality traits with one's blood type. This phenomenon is as popular in Japan as the idea of matching horoscope with personality is in the States.

Almost all Japanese are aware of their blood type. The idea began when some in the west were touting the idea that the asian peoples were more closely related to animals then humans, or lower on the evolutionary chain, since type B blood was the predominant blood type in asians and animals. As ludicrous and unscientific as this idea was, it was insulting to say the least. Modern science disproves this obviously faulted idea. In the 1930's Furukawa Takeji (1891–1940) set out to disprove this notion and a new idea was born.

However, the idea of personality traits being influenced by blood type remains. Companies in

Japan even had divided workers by blood type.

Here are the general ideas of each blood type. The Rh factor plays no role in the blood type/personality idea:

Type O:
Type O's are outgoing, and very social. They are initiators, although they don't always finish what they start. Creative and popular, they love to be the center of attention and appear very self confident.

Type A:
While outwardly calm, they have such high standards (perfectionists) that they tend to be balls of nerves on the inside. Type A's are the most artistic of the blood groups. They can be shy, are conscientious, trustworthy, and sensitive.

Type B:
Goal oriented and strong minded, type B's will start a task and continue it until completed, and completed well. Type B's are the individualists of the blood group categories and find their own way in life.

Type AB:
Type AB's are the split personalities of the blood groups. They can be both outgoing and shy, confident and timid. While responsible, too much responsibility will cause a problem. They are trustworthy and like to help others.

Compatability by Blood Groups:
A is most compatible with A and AB
B is most compatible with B and AB
AB is most compatible with AB, B, A and O
O is most compatible with O, and AB

What do you think about this concept? Do you agree with such arguments?
Talk about another subject shortly!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

16 mars 2008

What are the meanings of colours?

Hello everybody!

Nice to talk with you again!
A couple of months ago, I found an interesting subject about colours and expressions linked to different kind of colours .

Somewhere over the rainbow...

See article to get more details about VOA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America
Voice of America (VOA), is the official external radio and television broadcasting service of the United States federal government. Its oversight entity is the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).

I selected this topic because we live with colours but do not have a clear notion of their interpretation. This subject was particularly appreciated by the members of the circle.

We started studying the VOA article. Here it is (quote):
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2007-04/2007-04-01-voa1.cfm

Colors:  I'm Feeling Very Blue Today
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.  Transcript of radio broadcast:  01 April 2007

Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

Every people has its own way of saying things, its own special expressions. Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.

Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.

Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century.  It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.

Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful.  Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded a famous song – Mood Indigo – about the deep blue color, indigo. In the words of the song: “You ain’t been blue till you’ve had that Mood Indigo.” Someone who is blue is very sad.

The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling stomach may say she feels a little green.  A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.

Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the paper money.

The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day.  A blacklist is illegal now.  But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.

In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brown out is an expression for a reduction in electric power.  Brown outs happen when there is too much demand for electricity.  The electric system is unable to offer all the power needed in an area. Black outs were common during World War Two. Officials would order all lights in a city turned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a target in the dark of night.

I also found some expressions including colours on the BBC website. Can you guess some of them? http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv337.shtml

Quote:

We have many idiomatic expressions involving the whole range of colours in English. In answering your question, Michal, we will have a look today at just three colours: red, white and blue (the colours of our national flag).

white colour idioms
White in British culture is traditionally associated with purity and innocence. See if you can work out the meaning of the following white colour idioms word for word. Then check your understanding by reading examples of how they are used in context. Finally, check again against the explanations given.

go as white as a sheet
white coffee
a white-collar worker
tell a white lie
whiter than white

The news must've been bad.  She went as white as a sheet when she read the telegram.
- Do you want white or black coffee? - White please.  Well, dark brown, actually - just a dash of milk.
He hopes to get a white-collar job, though, with his level of education, he'll be lucky to get a blue-collar one.
It's OK to tell a white lie.  It doesn't do any harm and it nearly always does some good.
She's whiter than white - the image of perfection.  In her entire life she has never put a foot wrong.

ANSWERS

go as white as a sheet:  become extremely pale in the face
white coffee:  coffee with milk (note: not white tea;  instead: tea with milk)
white-collar worker:  an office worker  (note blue-collar = factory or physical work)
tell a white lie:  telling a lie to avoid making someone upset
whiter than white:  someone who is totally fair and honest

red colour idioms Red is often associated with anger or danger (red traffic lights). In British culture, red-haired people (redheads) are traditionally hot-tempered and high-spirited. Try to work out the meaning of these red colour idioms in the same way as before.

 be in the red
see red
roll out the red carpet
paint the town red
a red-letter day

She's always in the red, never in the black.  No overdraft would ever be big enough for her.
When she realised saw that no housework had been done all week, she saw red and banished us from her holiday
It'll be time to roll out the red carpet when Auntie Meg returns home.  We haven't seen her for twenty years.
They decided they would paint the town red after winning so much money by gambling on the horses.
It was a red-letter day for us when we were able to move into our new holiday house - the house of our dreams.

ANSWERS

be in the red:  have minus amounts on one's bank account (in the black = in credit)
see red:  lose one's temper; become suddenly angry
roll out the red carpet:  put on a special welcome for an important person
paint the town red:  enjoy yourself by going to bars and/or clubs
a red-letter day:  a very happy or exciting day

blue colour idioms

Blue is traditionally the colour of boys' clothes in British culture - pink for girls. It is also associated with loyalty and true love. Try to work out the meaning of these blue colour idioms in the same way as before.

a blue movie
out of the blue
scream blue murder
the boys in blue
a blue-eyed boy

Blue movies, or adult videos as they are sometimes called, are normally only available from sex shops.
His suggestion that we should move to Cyprus came completely out of the blue.  I wasn't expecting it.
They started to scream blue murder when I told them they would have to work an extra half an hour on Saturday afternoons.
It's a criminal offence.  We can't sweep it under the carpet.  We should hand it over to the boys in blue.
He's the blue-eyed boy of skateboarding all right.  He's won this competition five times.

ANSWERS

a blue movie:  a film with explicit adult scenes
out of the blue:  suddenly and unexpectedly
scream blue murder:  make a lot of fuss; shout loudly and emotionally in protest
the boys in blue:  the uniformed police
a blue-eyed boy:  a young man (grudgingly) admired because he is successful

Finally, Jennifer Kyrnin with her analysis about "Color symbolism chart by culture" gave us the final view of the circle. To enlarge, always enlarge our point of view and think in terms of international way.
Here is her item extracted from http://webdesign.about.com/od/color/a/bl_colorculture.htm

Understand the Meanings of Color in Various Cultures Around the World

If you use color on your Web site, then you should be aware of how your audience views those colors. This is especially important if you are designing a site that is intended for an audience of a different culture than your own (or a global audience). The cultural basis for color symbolism can be very powerful, and if you don't understand what you're saying with your colors, you can make big mistakes.

Red

• China: Good luck, celebration, summoning
• Cherokees: Success, triumph
• India: Purity
• South Africa: Color of mourning
• Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism
• Eastern: Worn by brides
• Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green)

Orange

• Ireland: Religious (Protestants)
• Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn

Yellow

• China: Nourishing
• Egypt: Color of mourning
• Japan: Courage
• India: Merchants
• Western: Hope, hazards, coward

Green

• China: Green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him, exorcism
• India: Islam
• Ireland: Symbol of the entire country
• Western: Spring, new birth, go, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas (with red)

Blue

• Cherokees: Defeat, trouble
• Iran: Color of heaven and spirituality
• Western: Depression, sadness, conservative, corporate, "something blue" bridal tradition

Purple

• Thailand: Color of mourning (widows)
• Western: Royalty

White

• Japan: White carnation symbolizes death
• Eastern: Funerals
• Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove)

Black

• China: Color for young boys
• Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange), bad guys, rebellion

Hope you have found this item as interesting as it was pleased to write down.
Talk to you shortly!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

PS: a strange colour, an anagram (once more of my first name Laurence) is also a colour:

cerulean (uncountable) - http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cerulean

(color) A deep blue colour, like the sky on a fine day.

cerulean colour:

Cerulean may be applied to a range of colors from deep blue, sky-blue, bright blue or azure color through greenish blue colors.

The first recorded use of cerulean as a color name in English was in 1590.The word is probably derived from the Latin word caeruleus, "dark blue, blue or blue-green", which in turn probably derives from caelulum, diminutive of caelum, "heaven, sky. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerulean_blue)

And finally... Hope and Happiness: Yellow is sunshine. It is a warm color that, like red, has conflicting symbolism. On the one hand it denotes happiness and joy but on the other hand yellow is the color of cowardice and deceit.

 

02 septembre 2007

Ganesha Festival in Paris

Dear readers,

Today, the Ganesha Lord Festival has started in Paris in the 18th district where I live.It is my first festival and it sounds very interesting.

At 9:00 AM, a religious ceremony took place inside a Temple and at 11:00 AM, the parade composed of different cars and groups followed a route from Philippe de Girard street to Marcadet street and came back to the Temple around 3:00 PM.

For this festival, street are sprayed with rose water including saffron. The Ganesh and Murugan cars are pulled by nude feet believers (fideles). Men wear "vesti", long white costume whereas ladies wear "saree", lon coloured piece of fabric. Musicians and "cavadis" porters march past (defiler) on first position. Then, ladies bearing fired camphor presents followed the parade.
On the road, a lot of coconuts are layed so that being broken when the cars arrive.

 

 

  


** The point of view of a specialist of hindouism about the festival : How to celebrate the great Ganesha festival
From Subhamo Dass (http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/ganeshchaturthi.htm)

A life-like clay model of Lord Ganesha is made 2-3 months prior to the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. The size of this idol may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.

On the day of the festival, it is placed on raised platforms in homes or in   elaborately decorated outdoor tents for people to view and pay their homage.   The priest, usually clad in red silk dhoti and shawl, then invokes life into   the idol amidst the chanting of mantras. This ritual is the pranapratishhtha.   After this the shhodashopachara (16 ways of paying tribute) follows. Coconut,   jaggery, 21 modakas (rice flour preparation), 21 durva (trefoil) blades and   red flowers are offered. The idol is anointed with red unguent (rakta chandan).   Throughout the ceremony, Vedic hymns from the Rig Veda and Ganapati Atharva   Shirsha Upanishad, and Ganesha stotra from the Narada Purana are chanted.

For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha   is worshipped.

On the 11th day, the image is taken through the streets in a   procession accompanied with dancing, singing, to be immersed in a river or the   sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode   in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of all man. All join in   this final procession shouting "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya"   (O father Ganesha, come again early next year). After the final offering of   coconuts, flowers and camphor is made, people carry the idol to the river to   immerse it.

The whole community comes to worship Ganesha in beautifully done tents. These   also serve as the venue for free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity   for the poor, dramatic performances, films, devotional songs, etc. during the   days of the festival.
 

SOME WORDS ABOUT GANESHA
Extract from: http://www.angelfire.com/id/croon/india/ganesha.html

GANESHA is easily the most popular god in India and is the one you pray to when launching new projects. On wedding invitations, at street come shrines, in carved doorway and in every temple -- Ganesha is everywhere in the Hindu world. He is worshipped before any venture is started. He is obviously important to Hindus and non-Hindus alike -- the question is, why? There are of course many answers to this question. Perhaps, Ganesha's popularity stems from the fact that he is the most physical of the major gods: Ganesha is the closest to the material plane of consciousness, most able to assist us in our day-to-day life and concerns.
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja. Ganesha's life cycle is broken into eight main incarnations, based on the accounts of the Ancient Hindu classics.

SOME INTERESTING WEBSITE ABOUT GANESHA, HIS LEGEND...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha
http://www.cix.co.uk/~ganesh/ganesha.htm
http://www.hindunet.org/god/Gods/ganesh/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week804/belief.html
http://www.indiantemples.com/beliefs/ganesha.html

A GLIMPSE ON ANOTHER BELIEF
** The syamantaka jewel

It is said that anyone who looks at the moon on the night of the Ganesh Chaturthi will be falsely charged with theft or a similar crime. If someone inadvertently sees the moon on this night, he/she may remedy the situation by listening to (or reciting) the story of the syamantaka jewel. This story may be found in the Puranas such as the Bhagavata and the Vishnu. Briefly, Satrajit, who secured a jewel syamantaka from Surya, did not part with it even when Krishna the Lord of Dvaraka, asked for it saying it would be safe with Him. Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan of Ramayana fame killed the lion and gave it to his son to play with. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel.

Krishna, in order to remove the stain on His reputation, set out in search of the jewel and found it in Jambavan's cave, with his child. Jambavan attacked Krishna thinking Him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel. They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, his whole body terribly weakened from the hammering of Krishna's fists, finally recognised Him as Rama.

I now know You. You are the life in all creatures, virility, grit and strength. You are Vishnu, the Primeval Lord, All-prevailing, the Supreme Lord (of the worlds). (Bhagavata 10.56.26)

He Who built a bridge (across the ocean) that is a standing monument to His fame, set Lanka ablaze, and with His arrows severed the heads of Rakshasas, which fell to the ground.

As repentance for his having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned to Dvaraka with Jambavati and the jewel, and returned it Satrajit, who in turn repented for his false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama in marriage. Krishna accepted Satyabhama as His wife but did not accept the jewel.

In the event one is not even able to listen to or read the story, the following mantra may be recited holding some water in the palm of the right hand. The water is then to be sipped.

A lion killed Prasena; the lion was killed by Jambavan. Don't cry, O dear child! This syamantaka jewel is yours.

Excerpted from an article by Anand Hudli (ahudli@silver.ucs.indiana.edu).

Well, that is it for today!
Talk about another subject soon!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

19 août 2007

Let us taste the rat-a-too-ee dish!

RATATOUILLE or a delicious adventure to share !

I discovered this afternoon the latest computer animation film (the eight) from the Pixar Animation Studios distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and it is really excellent!
I must confess that I was not a fan of cartoons or animation films even if for a while I worked as a purchasing manager assistant for kid's and baby's garments under licences such as Disney or Barbie, and Finding Nemo convinced me. So I am a fervent admirer of the Pixar's team skills and abilities.

** Extract from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar)
In a few words, Pixar was founded as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm that was launched in 1979 with the hiring of Dr. Ed Catmull from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). It is an American computer animation studio based in Emeryville, California (USA) notable for its seven Academy Awards. It is best known for its CGI animated feature films—such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Cars—achieved through PhotoRealistic RenderMan, its own implementation of the industry-standard Renderman image rendering API, which is used to generate high-quality images.
On January 24, 2006, The Walt Disney Company agreed to buy Pixar for $7.4 billion through an all-stock transaction. The acquisition was completed on May 5, 2006 (swapping one Pixar share for 2.3 shares of Disney), making Pixar a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney.

** First of all, maybe we can just comment the title because it is original and so familiar for French people. It is maybe not the case for people from other countries.
Well, "la ratatouille" is a speciality from South of France (Nice) composed of tomatoes, courgettes (zucchinis), aubergines (eggplants), peppers, garlic, onions, olive oil, thyme, laurel, rosemary (romarin) and salt.
It is a very tasty vegetables dish to eat with meat.

** Ratatouille, the hero of the animation film and the French cuisine
Without being pretentious, we can say that French cuisine is well-know for its diversity and can be considered as one of the most refined (raffine). We also do not forget the Indian and Chinese cuisine which are also very tasty and with thousands of flavours and spices to let our taste buds (papilles) enjoy eating each dish ;-)
That is the reason why the film takes place in France, in Paris and relates the story of Remy, an educated and gourmet rat whose aim is to become a cooker and more precisely a "chef".
His confidence in human being, his determination will let him realize his dreams.

We can also notice some similarities between Auguste Gusteau, the founder of the high-class restaurant where Ratatouille will become a cooker and Bernard Loiseau, the famous French chef whose suicide on February 24th, 2003  was a  regrettable event.
Indeed, Bernard Loiseau was ranked 3 stars at the demanding Guide Michelin, et 19/20 at Gault-Millau. Considered as one of the best chef of the French cuisine, he planned to set up a luxurious and elegant hotel resort. Due to a failure during the Gault-Millau inspection (from 19 to 17/20) and severe comments saying he lost inspiration and innovation challenge, he preferred to leave the stage after being so humiliated.

To realize this animation film, we can imagine that the photography manager, Robert Anderson and his team spent a lot of time studying each dish and components from a kitchen (cuisine) to make them so real. For example, they met the following chefs in France and USA to have a perfect view of all the components from a kitchen:

• Taillevent
• Guy Savoy
• Hélène Darroze
• La Tour d'Argent (famille Terrail)
• Cyril Lignac
• Café Procope, the most ancient CAFE of the world set up in 1686
  
• Le Train Bleu
• Chez Michel

** Why Ratatouille is so lovely that he conquers the heart of children we are?
Maybe because Ratatouille is the symbol of the resourceful rat who can take opportunities and in spite of his differences, can reach the success on his level.
He has to fight against his own family to stand out (imposer) his choices and find the strength to reach his goal.
He has also a different opinion about human being than the other rats and believe in his own abilities. He does not want to do exactly the same as his companions and follows his own road to find himself.
It is nothing else than a life experience similar to the one that each of us can experience if we just want to try, to let us the chance of discoveries, especially the discovery of your "ego" and the others.
Even if the hero is just a rat, so not so cute animal with a good reputation, the story reveals a message especially for the critic who caused the suicide of Gusteau, a kind of redemption or maybe the end of a pain, the recovery of himself at another level. Let you judge by yourself !

** Ratatouille Breaks Records in France    

Variety reports that Ratatouille has scurried past previous records as it set a new record in box office performance in the land of the French, France.

Taking in nearly $16 million through 1,951,074 ticket sales on 721 prints, the average of 2,706 viewers per screen is the highest-ever bow for a cartoon.

says the article. Great success for Ratatouille in France is bound to happen, with the French eager to see an animated Pixar film featuring their beloved capital city. This is similar to the way Australians reacted to Finding Nemo back in 2003, which features Sydney.

Selection of interesting articles/documents about this film:

A Taste of Whimsy Wows the French
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/13/AR2007081300990.html

Review: 'Ratatouille' is visually rich
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/2007-06-26-1733734342_x.htm

Official website from Disney
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/ratatouille/

If you want to see some extracts of the film: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=6FFoK8ss3Sw
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=NwrJjLDIj1w (Ratatouille Pixar  - 9 Minutes Preview)

So, hope I have convinced you to join Remy and Gusteau's circle saying that EACH OF US CAN COOK (!)

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

05 août 2007

Live Earth concert

Dear readers,

What a pleasure to come back to my first writing love after so long time. What happened?
Well, I was confirmed in my job and found a certain balance between professional and personal circle. The rest belongs to me. So, I will keep the silence...

The English circle I set up in last January in Paris is still alive, more than ever (plus que jamais). It is quite pleasant to welcome members just because they heard about the circle thanks to other people.

One our last studied topic was related to Live Earth series of concert. have you ever heard about this society phenomenon?
"Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth               ."
(extracted fro the website http://www.liveearth.org/)

We studied a short article  saying that musical extravaganzas (spectacles) featuring (mettre en vedette) some of the biggest names in the rock and pop such as Madonna, Phil Collins, Red Hot Chili Peppers...
Many newspapers were critical of the pop stars who created a considerable amount of carbon by flying half way round the world in their private jets. Moreover, the Artic Monkey's drummer confessed it would be "a bit hypocritical" to think this young band could change the world, "especially when we are using enough power for ten houses just for lighting".

What a delicate position! On one hand, you want to make a human action, a good deed (une B.A, bonne action) and on the  other hand, you do not respect the cause you stand up for (appuyer, lutter pour une cause).

Let us first study the vocabulary linked to the event: Live and Earth

TO LIVE: to reside / to manage one's life / to be (remain) alive / to exist / burning / full of energy
A LIFE: existence / useful duration / animating spirit
LIVELIHOOD: the financial means whereby one lives
LIVING STANDARD: level of life

Other expressions:
LIVE AND LET DIE: vivre et laisser vivre
LIVE AS HUSBAND AND WIFE: vivre comme mari et femme
LIVE ALONE: vivre seul
LIVE IN PEACE: vivre en paix
LIVE SHOW: spectacle en direct

EARTH: ground / land / wordly concern
EARTHQUAKE: shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane of from volcanic activity
EARTHWORM: terrestrial worm that burrows into and helps aerate soil; often surfaces when the ground is cool or wet; used as bait by anglers

Then, we discussed about the carbonfootprint and climate change. Here are some interesting website on this matter:

A Carbon Footprint  is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

http://www.myfootprint.org/

Concerning Al Gore and his documentary:
http://www.climatecrisis.net/

To explain clearly the scientific phenomenon in simple words:
http://nature.ca/sila/hm_e.cfm

Here is a glimpse to this serious subject. We really need to save the planet doing simple things such as taking a shower rather than a bath, switch off computer, riding bicycle...
What have you did for the planet today?

Talk to you soon!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

24 avril 2007

English resources

 

Dear readers,

English & the Internet

The Internet provides students with an inexhaustible supply of material and resources. It can compliment your course by bringing language learning to life..

The Internet also offers exciting opportunities for meaningful interaction in the target language. This interaction can take place between the students and native speakers anywhere in the world. The interaction can be asynchronous (email) or synchronous in the form of audio chats or voice and video messaging.

There are several internet sites which provide Free English Lessons You just have to  type English in your search engine, and choose.

The best way to improve your oral English (speaking and listening) is to listen, watch and speak, of course within an English Circle for example.

Listening & Watching:

Audio and Video resources with free content:

British:
www.bbc.co.uk (Site of British Broadcasting Corporation, British public Radio and Television)

www.channel4.com/news/video/ (Independent TV Channel)

www.sky.com/skynews/video (Private News Channel)

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-listening-downloads.htm (British Council)

http://www.dailyesl.com/ (Conversationstarters for English students)

American:
www.Pbs.org (Site of Public Broadcasting Service, American public television)

www.npr.org (Site of National Public Radio, American public radio)

http://edition.cnn.com/video/ (Private TV Channel)

Reading

British Press:

Sites of Major quality Newspapers with free content:

www.timesonline.co.uk (The Times)

www.guardian.co.uk/ (The Guardian)

www.independent.co.uk (The Independent)

Sites of magazines:

www.economist.com  (The Economist)

www.newstatesman.co.uk  (The Newstatesman)

www.spectator.co.uk (The Spectator)

www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/ (Prospect magazine)

American Press:

Newspapers
www.nytimes.com (New York Times)

www.washingtonpost.com (Washington Post)

www.latimes.com (Los Angeles Times)

www.usatoday.com (USA Today)

www.iht.com (International Herald Tribune)

Magazines :

www.newyorker.com  (The New Yorker)

www.theatlantic.com  (The Atlantic)

www.salon.com  (Salon magazine)

www.thenation.com (The Nation)

www.motherjones.com  (Mother Jones)

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032542/site/newsweek (Newsweek)

www.time.com/time (Time magazine)

Arts Magazines

www.artnewsonline.com/index.cfm  (Art News)

www.artforum.com (Art Forum)

www.artdaily.com  (Art Daily)

www.art-review.com/index.php  (Art Review)

www.artsjournal.com (Arts Journal)

www.artpress.fr (Art Press, bilingual art magazine)

Toeic Resources:

Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) measures the ability of non-native English-speaking people to use English in everyday work activities.

There are several internet sites which provide Free Toeic Tests. You just have to  type TOIEC in your search engine.

You will also have access to the Toeic Mastery, an interactive Toiec preparation software for practice at home. It is the best Toeic software available.

Toeic Mastery site: http://www.toeicmastery.com/

http://www.toeic.eu/no_cache/toeic-sites/choose-your-country/

Other Free Tests at the following sites:

http://www.toeic-europe.com/index-fr.htm
www.edulang.com
http://www.free-english.com/
http://www.encomiuminteractive.com/exams/demo.asp
http://www.anglaisfacile.com/index.php
http://wordchamp.com/lingua2/Reader.do
www.onlineenglish.de

Hope this list is helpful for you!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen

13 mars 2007

Awards and recognition

Dear readers,

Well today, following the various Awards Ceremonies (Academy awards: Ceremonie des Oscars, Cesars, Victoires de la Musique and else), it is worth (cela vaut la peine) wondering (se demander) whether they are necessary or not.

When you type "awards and recognition" in Google, you cannot imagine how many websites are listed. You can even find the ARA, Awards and Recognition Association which is "is a membership organization of 4,000 companies dedicated to increasing the professionalism of recognition specialists and advancing the awards and engraving industry (industrie de la gravure)".
http://www.ara.org/about/who.cfm

What means "award" and "recognition"?
The noun "award" has 3 meanings:

1) a grant made by a law court (dommages et interets donnes par un tribunal)
2) a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction (in studies for example - un prix)
3) something given for victory or superiority in a contest (concours) or competition

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An award is something given to a person or group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field. Awards are often signified by trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins or ribbons. An award can carry a monetary prize given to the recipient, for instance, the Nobel Prize for contributions to society, or the Pulitzer Prize for literary achievements. An award can also simply be a public acknowledgment of excellence, without a tangible token or a prize.

Awards can be given by any person or institution, although the prestige of an award may depend on the status of the awarder. Usually, awards are given by an organization of some sort, or by the office of an official within an organization or government. For instance, a special presidential citation (as given by the President of the United States) is a public announcement giving an official place of honor (e.g. President Ronald Reagan gave a special presidential citation in 1984 to the Disney Channel for its excellent children's television programming).

The verb is "to reward": recompenser (someone for...)
Recognition has also different meanings. The one in which we are interested is related to attention or favourable notice.

Let us study deeply this relationship between "award" and recognition".
Extract from the text by Chris Rose on the British Council Website.

The Nobels are the originals, of course. Alfred Nobel, the man who invented deadly explosives decided to try and do something good with all the moeny he earned (gagner), and gave prizes to people who made progress in literature, sciences , economics and maybe msot importantly peace (...)

(...) there are hundreds of awards and awards ceremonies for all kind of things.
The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time for the (mostly) American film industry to tell itself how good it is, an annual opportunity for lots of big stars to give each other awards and make tearful (larmoyant) speeches (...)

(...) Awards do not only exist for the arts. There are awards for Sports Personality of the Year, for European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year. This seems very strange - sometimes awards can be good to give recognition to people who deserve it, or help people who do not make a lot of money carry on their work without worrying about finances but professional soccer players these days certainly are not short (etre a court de) of cash (...)

(...) Why all these awards and ceremonies appeared recently? Shakespeare never won a prize, nor Leonardo da Vinci or Adam Smith or Charles Dickens (...) In the past, scientists and artists could win "patronage" (mecenat) from rich people (...) With the change in social systems accross the world, this is no longer happens. A lot of scientific research is now either (a la fois) funded (finance) by the state or by private companies (...)

(...) Most awards ceremonies are now sponsored by big organisations or companies. This means that is not only the person who wins the awards who benefits - but also the sponsors.

(...) On the surface, it seems to be a "win-win" situation with everyone being happy, but let me ask you a question - how far do you think that publicity and marketing are winning here, and how much genuine (authentique) recognition of achievement (accomplissement, realisation) is taking place?


Well, receiving an award, a prize, a recognition sign is quite pleasant. All depends at which level this award is, if it is just popular and at small scale (city, university...) or large scale (national, worldwide).
A lot of people realize every day honourable facts or actions and they are recognized and appreciated by the others. No need of crying it from the housetops (crier quelque chose sur les toits).
Maybe the most important is to be generous towards others not materially speaking but thanks to your behaviour ;-)

Well, to finish, here is a list of the most famous awards. Some of them are typically British:

GOLDEN GLOBES

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was founded more than 60 years ago by a group of Los Angeles-based journalists working for overseas publications. Its annual Golden Globe awards have enabled the non-profit organization to donate more than $6.5 million in the past twelve years to entertainment-related charities, as well as funding scholarships and other programs for future film and television professionals. In the year 2006 the donation was more than one million dollars.

http://www.thegoldenglobes.com/

GRAMMIES

The recording industry's most prestigious award, the GRAMMY, is presented annually by The Recording Academy. A GRAMMY is awarded by The Recording Academy's voting membership to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions (GRAMMY Awards Process). The annual GRAMMY Awards presentation brings together thousands of creative and technical professionals in the recording industry from all over the world.

http://www.grammy.com/

BRITS

The Brit Awards are industry-voted awards, rewarding stars who are liked by a lot of people and therefore make the industry a lot of money.

http://brits.co.uk/

MERCURY PRIZE

The Mercury Prize, currently known as the Nationwide Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album of the previous 12 months. It was established by the BPI and BARD (the British Association of Record Dealers) in 1992 as an alternative to the industry-dominated Brit awards. It was originally sponsored by the now-defunct telecoms company Mercury, followed in 1998 by Technics and starting in 2004 the Nationwide Building Society [1]. It is often observed that bands who are nominated for, or indeed win the prize experience a large increase in album sales, particularly for the lesser known nominees

http://www.nationwidemercurys.com/

Q award

THE Q AWARDS 2006 brought to you by Yahoo! Music took place today at London's Grosvenor House Hotel and proved that it is, undoubtedly, THE music event of the year.

http://www.qawards.co.uk/qawards/

TURNER PRIZE

The Turner Prize is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under 50, named after the painter J.M.W. Turner. It is organized by the Tate Gallery, and since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised art award. It has become associated with conceptual art, although it represents all media and painters have also won the prize.

The prize fund from 2004 onwards was £40,000. There have been different sponsors, including Channel 4 television and Gordon's gin. The prize is awarded by a distinguished celebrity: in 2006 this was Yoko Ono.

It is a controversial event, mainly for its exhibits, such as a shark in formaldehyde by Damien Hirst and a dishevelled bed by Tracey Emin. Controversy has also ensued from other directions, including a Culture Minister (Kim Howells criticising exhibits), a guest of honour (Madonna swearing), a prize judge (Lynn Barber writing in the press) and a speech by Sir Nicholas Serota (about the purchase of a trustee's work).

PULITZER PRIZE

The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. It is administered by Columbia University in New York City.

Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of these, each winner receives a certificate and a US$10,000 cash award. The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal, which always goes to a newspaper, although an individual may be named in the citation.

The prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who left money to Columbia University upon his death in 1911. A portion of his bequest was used to found the university's journalism school in 1912. The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on June 4, 1917, and they are now announced each April. Recipients are chosen by an independent board

http://www.pulitzer.org/

PRIX GONCOURT

The Académie Goncourt is a literary organization based in Paris, France that was founded in 1900 in accordance with the wishes of French writer and publisher Edmond de Goncourt (1822-1896), and in opposition to the then existing policies towards writers by the Académie française.

Wishing to honor his deceased brother Jules (1830-1870), de Goncourt named his friend Alphonse Daudet to oversee his estate that he bequeathed for the establishment of an organization to promote literature in France. Each December since 1903, a ten-member Board of the Académie has awarded the Prix Goncourt for the best work of fiction of the year. It is the most prestigious prize in French language literature, and a seat on the Board is a much-cherished position in the French literary world.

http://www.academie-goncourt.fr/ (in French)

PRIX FEMINA

The Prix Femina is a French literary prize created in 1904 by 22 writers for the magazine La Vie heureuse (today known as Femina). The prize is decided each year by an exclusively female jury. The winner is announced on the first Wednesday of November each year.

The Prix Femina is often misspelled Prix Fémina but it is officially spelled without an accent even in French.

http://www.prix-litteraires.net/femina.php (in French)

PRIX MEDICIS

The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match their talent." In 1970 the Prix Médicis étranger, a foreign prize, was added to award a writer each year from around the world. The Prix Médicis essai is awarded since 1980 for non-fictional works.

 

PRIX RENAUDOT

The prix Renaudot (also called "prix Théophraste Renaudot") is a literary award which was created in 1926 by ten art critics awaiting the results of the deliberation of the jury of the prix Goncourt.

The prix Renaudot, while not officially related to the prix Goncourt, is a kind of complement to it, announcing its laureate at the same time and place as the prix Goncourt, namely on the first Tuesday of November at the Drouant restaurant in Paris.

http://www.prix-litteraires.net/medicis.php

That is for today! Talk to you shortly.

With best wishes,

Ceraulen

01 mars 2007

Chinese New Year Parade in Paris - 13th district

Dear readers,

Last Sunday, the Chinese New Year Parade took place in the 13th district. Even if the rain was not invited, it came suddenly at the end of the afternoon. Anyway, happiness, smiles, multicoloured costumes and good mood flew around us.

Chinese New Year in Paris has become one of the city's most popular annual events. Paris has a large and thriving French-Chinese community whose cultural influence grows stronger all the time. Parisians of all stripes eagerly crowd the streets of South Paris each year to witness a cheerful procession of dancers and musicians, vibrantly-hued dragons and fish, and elegant flags embossed with Chinese characters. Boisterous Chinese restaurants are packed to the brim with locals and tourists, and the night set may include special theatrical or musical performances or even film festivals. A truly unique experience.

Parades are a tradition imported by the Chinese people when they emigrated in foreign countries.
All the symbols from China are gathered during this parade: red colour for happiness, yellow colour for the Emperor, vans, lanterns and of course, dragons!
Let us discover a few pictures of this parade:

 



  

 

In China, it is rather a family gathering and the equivalent of our western Christmas and New Year.
Let us read an interesting article on this topic!

CHINESE NEW YEAR TRADITION
Extract from: http://www.123chinesenewyear.com/traditions/                                                        

Chinese Culture is rich in its culture and traditions . They have their own beliefs and New Year traditions , which they follow ardently. Although the Chinese New Year , Nian, lasts only two or three days including the Chinese New Year's Eve, the Chinese New Year season extends from the mid-twelfth month of the previous year to the middle of the first month of the new year. A month from the onset of the Chinese New Year, it is supposed to be a good time for business. People will pour
out their money to buy presents, decoration material, food and clothing.
             
It is the Chinese New Year tradition that every family gives its house a thorough cleaning, hoping to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for the wishful in-coming good luck. People also give their doors and window-panes a new paint, usually in red color. They decorate the doors and windows with paper-cuts and couplets with the very popular theme of "happiness", "wealth", "logevity" and "satisfactory marriage with more children". Paintings of the same theme are put up in the house on top of the newly mounted wallpaper. In the old days, it was a Chinese New year tradition to distribute various kinds of food at the alta of ancestors.
             
The Eve of the Chinese New Year is very carefully observed. Supper is a feast, with all members coming together. One of the most popular Chinese New year tradition course is “jiaozi”, dumplings boiled in water. "Jiaozi" in Chinese literally mean "sleep together and have sons", a long-lost good wish for a family. After dinner, it is time for the whole family to sit up for the night while having fun playing cards or board games or watching TV programs dedicated to the occasion. It is also a tradition to keep every light on the whole night. At midnight, fireworks will light up the whole sky as people's excitement reach its zenith.

Very early the next morning, children greet their parents and receive their presents in terms of cash wrapped up in red paper packages from them. Then, the family starts out to say greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then to their neighbors. This Chinese New Year tradition is a great way to reconcile forgetting all old grudges. The air is permeated with warmth and friendliness. During and several days following the New Year's day, people are visiting each other, with a great deal of exchange of gifts. The New Year atmosphere is brought to an anti-climax fifteen days away when the Festival of Lanterns sets in. It is an occasion of lantern shows and folk dances everywhere. One typical food is the Tang Yuan, another kind of dumplings made of sweet rice rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings. This tradition is also specially followed on Chinese New Year time.

The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year season and afterwards life becomes daily routines once again. Traditions of the Chinese New Year vary from place to place, considering that China is a big country not only geographically, but also demographically and ethnically. Yet, the spirit underlying the diverse celebrations of the Chinese New Year is the same: a sincere wish of peace and happiness for the family members and friends.

A few words about the Pig sign ...
 

Years of the Boar (Pig)  

 Born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

Extract from:
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-new-year.html

THE SIGN OF THE PIG 

The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward (loyal, franc) and patient person. He/she is a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, he/she is often there to offer support. This type of person is reserved with those they do not know too well, but as time passes and they gain confidence, those around them may discover a lively and warm-hearted person behind that mask of aloofness. Despite those born in the year of pig having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, they have few close friends who understand them and share their inner thoughts and feelings. It is easy to put trust in pig type; he/she won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so. Such people simply want to do everything right according to social norms.

It is important to remember that these people are not vengeful creatures. If someone tries to take advantage of him/her, the pig type tend to withdraw to reflect on the problem and protect themselves. All they need in such situations is a little time to find a constructive way to respond. The people of the pig type are conservative creatures of habit. They dislike being made to travel too far from familiar surroundings, unless it is a trip to the countryside. They love nature and are never happier than when they are out somewhere, far from the city.

There is a tolerant and peaceful side to their character. Such people are never afraid to allow others their freedom of expression; they do not want to cause arguments and if there is any way to avoid arguing, they will probably take this option. They are not weak, however, and if the situation forces them to fight these people will rise to the occasion, whether it is to defend themselves or those close to them. People of the Pig type are the most admired by others.

Some links about Chinese New Year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year
- Fiercy launch for Chinese New Year: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6368383.stm
- Chinese zodiac calls for volatile period on planet:  http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/261666,CST-NWS-pig18a.article - Chinese New Year is all about tradition:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/25/FDGOSGQ21E1.DTL
- Overseas Chinese celebrate new year: 
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-02/19/content_5756950.htm

祝    大家    新 年      快 乐 ！

Happy Spring Festival/New Year
to each of you!

With best wishes,
Ceraulen