Logging on and logging off

我下线了。 i logoff.
我wo4：i
下xia4 线xian4：logoff

我上线了。 i logon.
上shang4 线 xian4：logon

没 mei2关guan1 系xi4：never mind

Gardening

Gardening: 整理花园



zheng3 li3 hua1 yuan2

Happy Mothers Day

母亲节快乐
happy mothers day

母亲 = mother
节 = festival
快乐 = happy



that formula works for anything too!
圣诞节快乐
新年快乐
父亲节快乐

不战屈人

不战屈人

不bu2:don't
战zhan4:fight
屈qu1:yield
人ren2:people

Means yield sb. without fighting. This is a famous chinese proverb and also a important tranditional chinese thinking coming of war. It's also the most important rule of 'techniques of war' written by Sun Zi 2000 years ago.

Love your parents

A friend told me:

父生我身 is the beginning of a confucian litany on filial piety. the message is honor thy parents.

It is apparently taught to koreans as part of the school curriculum. students are made to memorize the entire litany.
the entire litany is very long, but you can find it here:
http://www.zl169.com/MINGDA/read_user_news.asp?ID=127

It emphasizes the depth of a parents love for a child and the importance of reciprocation and piety
The first few lines are:
父生我身，母鞠我身。腹以怀我，乳以哺我。以衣温我，以食饱我。
恩高如天，德厚似地。为人子者，曷不为孝。
My father raised me, my mother nourished me.
A bosom to hold/cherish me, a breast to nurse me.
Clothing to warm me, food to feed me.
Kindness/graciousness higher than the sky, values/morals thicker than the land.
The son of a man, why not be filial?

Not sure if the translation is that accurate, but things that are 2500 yrs old are hard to translate, but you get the idea...it is very traditional, goes into things like when your parents enter, you must stand and bow, when your parents order you to do something, you must comply etc...

Quote of the Day

My eight year old daughter comes to me with her Nintendo DS (a handheld gamesystem)
She asks 'How do you spell how?'
Me 'H - O - W'
She replies 'No!! Not that, the OTHER how!!!'
Me 'Um?? Which other how? Can you make a sentence with it?'
She I am trying to spell 'Nin hao'! To say hello!'
Ah, finally I understood and gave her the right spelling :)

Old Chinese Proverb

A friend told me: "There are not many sunny days here in winter. A famous chinese proverb “蜀犬吠日”tell us it's same sutiation in ancient China.

蜀 su3：the ancient name of Sichuan province of China
犬 quan3:dog
吠 fei4:gnar
日 ri4:sun

The dog gnar to the sun because there seldom saw it in winter in Sichuan."

Mystery Character of the Day

Saw this fountain with a character at our local nursery. Can anyone tell me which character it is and the meaning?