Confucius in the Headlines? Well, Almost

I've posted a piece at Frog in a Well called Ungraded Love or Double Standards? Stanley Fish, Stephen Asma, and Confucius which comments on a few recent op-ed articles in the NY Times. I point out that the arguments have much in common with the arguments Confucius and his critics had.

I'd like to get your comments and thought there.

Dragons in the News: Is a Long a Dragon?

I've published some thoughts at FROG IN A WELL on the differences between Western dragons and Chinese long, which is often simply translated as "dragon." Here's the link:  Dragons in the News: Is a Long a Dragon?

See for yourself and leave me a comment there.

Chinese New Year/ Spring Festival Teaching Resources

This is a list of websites with background and teaching material. Please add new ones in your comments:

• Well organized group of links; lessons and worksheets; other links http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/chinesenewyear.php

• Teacher vision: extensive links to Chinese culture sites and activities http://www.teachervision.fen.com/chinese-new-year/china/6603.html

• Extensive and well organized crafts and activities for elementary aged children http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/

• Unit Plan: "Chinese Inventions and the Chinese New Year” http://content.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=20

• Extensive listing of links to teacher resources for Chinese Culture and New Year (Utah Education Network) http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=5279#teacher

• A-Z Teacher Stuff http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Chinese_New_Year/index.shtml

•  http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=4324

• Sites and Links http://www.thecanadianteacher.com/archives/318

Names and Dates In English and Chinese

Names and Dates In English and Chinese:
I recently discovered Beijing Time Machine, run by Jared Hall. His recent piece Time over Place: Naming Historical Events in Chinese (ironically, it is not dated), is a striking and useful observation:

In English, we generally recall important turning points in terms of where they unfolded. Simple place names conjure up entire historical epochs. “Pearl Harbor” marks the American entrance into the Second World War and the global struggle against fascism. “Bandung,” the conference in of newly independent African and Asian nations that pledged to stand together in 1955 against imperialism and Cold War division. And then, of course, there is “Tian’anmen.” It is doubtful that mention of the square here in China would, by itself, raise any eyebrows. But try “6-4″ (六四) and you are can expect quite a different reaction.

There is also a useful chart of name years in the sixty year cycle, which you can download to put on your desk calendar or refrigerator door.

Year of the Hare... um.. Rabbit?

I've posted Year of the Hare... um.. Rabbit? at Frog In a Well.

I've included links to reliable and colorful sites. One of my favorites is to postage stamps around the world showing the Chinese New Year Rabbit.

But I still haven't seen an explanation  of the raging controversy, "rabbit" vs. "hare"

Chinese Characters and Japanese Kanji

Chinese characters are known in Chinese as Hanzi -- "Han" as in Han dynasty, "zi" means "written character. And in Japanese "Hanzi" is pronounced "Kanji."

You can find links to websites which I have come across on my Delicious listing: Chayford Chinese.characters. Unfortunately the links appear in the order in which I added them, so it's hard to tell which are useful for you.

As is often the frustrating case, the Wikipedia article "Chinese Character" is too long and wooly, but full of detailed information and good illustrations.

But there is a recent series of three posting on the blog "Seeing Red in China" by "Tom" -- whoever he is, he's good at explaining things clearly in an informal way, with good visuals:

• "It's Easy to Learn Chinese -- Really" Explains some of the basic principles of Chinese language.
• "Why 10,000 Characters is Easier Than It Seems" Shows how characters are not random strokes but built up from known elements.
• "Compound Words, More of a Puzzle Than a Problem." Most words in modern Chinese are formed by putting two or more characters together.

From time to time I'll add some more -- maybe you have suggestions.

Selected Links on President Hu's Visit

Kelly McKee of Lake Forest High, who participated in the NCTA seminar in 2004 and has been active ever since, has selected useful links which covered President Hu's visit and showed how US-China relations have evolved. Thanks Kelly!

• Nicholas Kristoff, “Rise of the Chinese Cheneys,” NY Times (January 20, 2010). A rundown on the "security dilemma," that is, the danger of distrust in China feeding distrust in the US, creating an unnecessary confrontation.

• James Warren, “Chinese President’s Visit Proclaims a Rising Chicago,” NY Times (January 20, 2011).

• China State Visits: A Look Back At 30 Years Of U.S. Relations With China (Photos)(Huffington Post (January 20, 2011)

• Jeffrey Wasserstrom, “China in 2010: A 13-Link Retrospective Huffington Post (January 13, 2011). Wasserstrom lists and briefly describes articles on the big social and political issues of 2010.

Two more:

• Article about Hu at Payton, President Hu Visits Asia Society School, from the Asia Society website (January 21, 2010).
• A video of Hu at Payton from Hanban, the agency in China which oversees overseas activities.