In the Indian tradition way it is customary to welcome a guest into our home with kindness and generosity by offering the best that we have. In some homes there may not be much – a little coffee, some fry bread — but whatever we have we offer it to our guests in a good…
Writing Poems
There are six elements that must be observed when writing poems, and in a few lines, I am going to lay what they are out for you. Writing a good poem really isn’t the hard, especially if you know what you what to say. The first element of writing a poem or any other form…
Feng Shui- to be or not to be?
Feng Shui isn’t the a magic wand with a ‘cure all’ aura. It isn’t even associated with a religion. Yet it lures Hong Kongers into following it. It’s inscrutable power has its origins way back to 6000 years in ancient Chinese art and science. It is vigilance, combination of math, science, geology, and intuition, striking…
The Rainbow Nation has Yet to be Born
My first few weeks in south Africa to publicize my children’s book were spent in a state of extreme culture shock. Nothing was as I had been led to believe – not even the weather. It was winter in Andalucia, Spain when I left for what was supposed to be mid-summer in South Africa. The…
Chinese Inventions Have Resulted in Some Incredible Innovations
It might be difficult for westerners to perceive that Chinese inventions have been responsible for some of the most important innovations to come about, but the fact is that this is completely true. The Chinese have suffered under the stereotypical belief by others that they are not technologically accomplished. Just for started however, and these…
The Tang Yuan Festival
Dong Zhi, or the Winter Solstice Festival, was celebrated by the Chinese of ancient times. It was commemorated in much the same way Chinese Lunar New Year is now – with visits to friends and relatives. There is customary feasting and businesses will close up for the day. During this time, people will assemble to…
In Chinese Astrology Ox Comes After Rat, and is the Sign for 2009
In Chinese astrology Ox is after Rat and 2009 is the year of the Ox. In the very beginnings of Chinese astrology, over 3 000 years ago they named the 12 Earthly branches after animals. The 10 Heavenly stems were also named, and this helped people keep the time as well as know when the…
China’s Emperors – The Early Years
Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong are known as the Three Sage Kings. They are the leaders of their time and they made many contributions and sacrifices to improve the lives of the people of their time. The first sage King was Suiren (approx. 16,000 BC) who reputedly discovered how to make fire by drilling wood. With…
Food Culture in China
To say that the consumption of food is a vital part of the chemical process of life is to state the obvious, but sometimes we fail to realize that food is more than just vital. The only other activity that we engage in that is of comparable importance to our lives and to the life…
Introducing the Chinese New Year
The first day of the first lunar month is the start of the Chinese New Year and this important celebration lasts for fifteen days. The Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China and is also celebrated throughout Asia, not only in China. The Chinese zodiac, a twelve-year cycle, and the heavenly stems,…