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Topic: Everything Chinese
no photo
Wed 05/20/15 05:58 AM


always found the stories of these four women fascinating...



Xi Shi sinks fish
Wang Zhaojun entice birds falling
Diaochan eclipses the moon
Yang Guifei shames flowers
*****



Hi, "mei nu" ...Pansy! flowerforyou flowerforyou flowerforyou


:banana:

My surname is right up there too ^^ bigsmile

Amelinng's photo
Sat 08/01/15 05:12 AM
I have so neglected this thread...... but I will try to post something soon. Just trying to get back to being 'sociable' after being a 'work machine'.

Hope I have been absent but not forgotten.

And recently, I have been asked if I could coach a very special friend to speak Chinese..... and it brings to mind that it is never too late to learn something new, irregardless of our age.


huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎo - A man is never too old to learn.


no photo
Sat 08/01/15 05:19 AM
Welcome back, babe! You have been missed!! flowerforyou

Kaustuv1's photo
Mon 08/03/15 07:55 AM
waving



















:heart: flowerforyou :smile:

Kaustuv1's photo
Mon 08/03/15 08:05 AM















GRACE Personified!:heart: :smile:

Amelinng's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:02 AM

waving



















:heart: flowerforyou :smile:


Hi Kaustuv waving Great to see your posts again!

Kaustuv1's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:05 AM
Edited by Kaustuv1 on Wed 08/05/15 03:06 AM
Hi Kaustuv waving Great to see your posts again!





Thank You Amelinng. It feels wonderful to see 'you' in Mingle once again.flowerforyou


I pray all is well with you and your loved ones.flowerforyou

Amelinng's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:18 AM

Mei ....... beautiful!

(my middle name..... hehehe!!! biggrin )




Guo ....... country

And so, the USA is 'beautiful country'..... great right?

Amelinng's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:20 AM

Welcome back, babe! You have been missed!! flowerforyou


Thanks Mai for the welcome back flowers

no photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:31 AM
waving

no photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:33 AM
bigsmile

Amelinng's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:38 AM

bigsmile



Hiya..... Tilly! flowerforyou :heart: smooched

But those needles makes me 'squirmy'........yikes!

Kaustuv1's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:46 AM
waving




















:heart:









Kaustuv1's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:56 AM
waving








Kaustuv1's photo
Wed 08/05/15 03:58 AM










:heart:

Amelinng's photo
Wed 08/05/15 04:00 AM
Kaustuv.... you must have been a Chinese in one of your past lives! :laughing: biggrin :thumbsup:

Kaustuv1's photo
Fri 08/07/15 03:14 AM

Kaustuv.... you must have been a Chinese in one of your past lives! :laughing: biggrin :thumbsup:





:laughing: Thank you 'Amelinng'flowers

Kaustuv1's photo
Fri 08/07/15 03:34 AM
waving

















no photo
Fri 08/07/15 08:43 PM
let's talk about ghosts... scared bigsmile

Friday August 28, 2015 (8/28/2015)
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, or Yu Lan is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (14th in southern China).

In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.



On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is veneration of the dead, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.



Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.



As the ghosts and the suffering spirits will come out from the hell to visit their homes during the 7th lunar month (the ghost month), many things should be avoided during this month including the ghost day.

1. Don't stroll at night.
2. Don't swim. It is said that drowned evil ghosts might try to drown people in order to find victims for them to rebirth.
3. As the month is considered to be inauspicious, don't move to new a house, start new businesses or marry.
4. Don't hang clothes outside at night.
5. Do not pick up coins or money found on the street and if one does, never bring any home.
6. Do not step on or kick the offerings by the roadside. If one were to step on any offerings by accident, her or she should apologize aloud to ameliorate the situation
7. Do not wear red because ghosts are attracted to red.
8. Don't sing and whistle as these may attract ghosts.
9. Keep away from the walls as it is believed that ghosts like sticking to walls.
10. If someone is born during the ghost month, avoid celebrating birthday at night. It's better to celebrate during the daytime.

stan_147's photo
Sat 08/08/15 03:49 PM
I'm craving hot pot!

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