Archive for January, 2010
Angkor Wat Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 30, 2010
Today I went and saw 吴哥窟 (Angkor Wat), a temple outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. It dates back to the 12th century, and numerous national governments have 赞助 (donated money to/supported) the 维护 (protection/maintenance) of the deteriorating walls. It is indeed a 国宝 (national treasure) for Cambodia, and truly 具有代表性 (possess representative characteristics) for the country. Entering Angkor Wat…
Cambodia Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 29, 2010
The next stop in my travels has been 柬埔寨 (Cambodia). I sat with my traveling buddies on a bus and watched as alternating landscapes with and without 电线 (power lines) rolled by. Like in Vietnam, there is no shortage of 三轮摩托车 (Tuk-Tuks 3-wheeled motorcycles). The landscape we saw outside the window on our way to…
Learning to Cook Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 26, 2010
The other day I saw a vendor selling 鱼翅 (sharkfin) at exorbitant prices at a market in Saigon. My friend and I decided that although we couldn’t afford shark fin, we should still learn a little about Vietnamese 烹饪 (cuisine). We took a cooking class, and it became clear as soon as I made my…
History of the PRC – Part Four Posted by sasha on Jan 24, 2010
At the end of our last lesson, Duan Qirui had given up his position as the Premier of China. However, pressure from his Anhui Clique soon forced President Feng to restore him. In the 1918 elections, which are thought to have been rigged, members of Duan’s clique took over 3/4 of the seats. At the…
Recent History in Vietnam Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 20, 2010
Since being in Vietnam, I have learned a lot about the history about the 越南战争 (Vietnam War) from visiting the 非军事区 (De-militarized zone) accompanied by a former combat 翻译 (interpreter) from the time. When we went to the former border between north and south, he pointed out that the 共产党 (Communist Party) had a 旗杆…
North Vietnam Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 17, 2010
The other day I was with my friend in a town called Lao Cai in the northern part of Vietnam. It was there that I saw something that I would never have imagined- a Vietnamese casino which counts its bets in 人民币 (RMB, Chinese currency). Situated on the border with China, the casino primarily attracted…
More About Nanning Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 15, 2010
One thing that I saw with my friend in Nanning was a museum dedicated to 铜鼓 (bronze drums), one of the symbols of the Guangzi Zhuang Autonomous Region. There we learned about different ethnic minorities’ use of the drum and its casting and molding process. After spending more time in Nanning, I began to see…