Many around the world celebrated the coming of 2007 with fire works and loud noises. I wonder how much of this was influence of Chinese New Year's traditions of using loud noises and bright lights to drive away evil and misfortune? I know we heard loud bangs just after midnight where we were. I hope that everyone celebrated safely.
Happy New Year.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Chinese Yoyo
The Chinese yoyo is also called a diablo or pull-bell. The diablo is a "cousin" or Western variation of the Chinese yoyo, of much more recent origin but the same tricks can be done with both. Although there are a number of differences between the two yoyo types, virtually all of the same tricks can be done on either. It seems that Chinese yoyo users usually speed up the yoyo by moving their arms up and down with the strings wrapped around the axle of the yoyo, where diablo users seem to cross the strings and move them from side-to-side.
For an idea of what can be done, watch this Chinese Yoyo video from the CCTV 2007 Chinese New Year Celebration. I liked watching them juggle Chinese Yoyos starting at 4:38. If you watch the whole clip you will also see them jumping robe and building pyramids.
There are more video clips on the web of folks working with Chinese yoyo, some to show off particular tricks and others for instructional purposes. I like the Harvard Chinese Yoyo Club's Tricks and Videos.html.
The Gibee club has almost all diabolo videos, for more watch at the English version of Diarhythm, a Japanese diabolo movie site. Dave Barnes Videos: with two diabolos and with three!
For Beginning Instructions:
Chinese Yoyo.org You may also want to look under “Mini-workshop” at their Dual yoyos page.
Harvard Yoyo Club's Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Yoyo.
This one is probably only of interest if you actually have one: How to get the string on the Chinese Yoyo. An important part of "how to start".
About.com has some nice pictures but the links were not working for me.
Paper "Chinese Yoyo":
I have never been able to track down the origins of this name and will not vouch for the "authenticity", but here are directions if that is what you want.
Updated: March 2007
For an idea of what can be done, watch this Chinese Yoyo video from the CCTV 2007 Chinese New Year Celebration. I liked watching them juggle Chinese Yoyos starting at 4:38. If you watch the whole clip you will also see them jumping robe and building pyramids.
There are more video clips on the web of folks working with Chinese yoyo, some to show off particular tricks and others for instructional purposes. I like the Harvard Chinese Yoyo Club's Tricks and Videos.html.
The Gibee club has almost all diabolo videos, for more watch at the English version of Diarhythm, a Japanese diabolo movie site. Dave Barnes Videos: with two diabolos and with three!
For Beginning Instructions:
Chinese Yoyo.org You may also want to look under “Mini-workshop” at their Dual yoyos page.
Harvard Yoyo Club's Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Yoyo.
This one is probably only of interest if you actually have one: How to get the string on the Chinese Yoyo. An important part of "how to start".
About.com has some nice pictures but the links were not working for me.
Paper "Chinese Yoyo":
I have never been able to track down the origins of this name and will not vouch for the "authenticity", but here are directions if that is what you want.
Updated: March 2007
Monday, December 18, 2006
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
Special note for Girl Scouts: If you are working on “countries around the world”, I am glad to see China included. If, however, you are preparing for World Thinking Day (WTD, February 22nd) chose Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) which has Girl Scouts or Hong Kong which has Girl Guides. Mainland China (People's Republic of China, PRC) is not in WAGGGS and would not be a candidate country for WTD. (Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the PRC.)
World Thinking Day is a chance for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to think about their peers in other parts of the world – and what the girls do, more than a chance to learn about a specific country. Perhaps this bit on Chinese Games might help.
More information on Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in China:
The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association
Website: http://www.hkgga.org.hk/eng_index.php (Although there is an ENG button on the top of the page to get English, much of the site is in Chinese.) Use the English side bars on the side to get more information on Guides in Hong Kong including the uniform, Promise and Law that different levels use. (Or see their Promise and Law, in Wikipedia's Hong Kong Girl Guides Association article.)
The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association is a full member of WAGGGS. Guiding was introduced there in 1916. They do not admit boys(*). In 2003 there were over 44,000 Girl Guides in Hong Kong. There are 6 levels in the Guiding programme.
Website: www.girlscout.org.tw
Girl Scouts of Taiwan is a full member of WAGGGS. Guiding was introduced there in 1919. They do not admit boys. In 2003 there were over 28,000 Girl Guides in Taiwan. (There is an "English" button on the top but it does not seem to make much different on the front page of the site.)
Wikipedia's article has the Promise and Law with English translations, or read more at this personal site, or view descriptions of their uniforms.
Macau
Macau and Hong Kong are special administrative regions of the PRC. Macau seems to have (Boy) Scouts but no Girl Scouts or Girl Guides. The Scout Association of Macau is not a member of WAGGGS.
Overseas Scouts in Taiwan & Hong Kong
At least as of February 2007, there were USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) in the PRC and there are also British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) there. (sources: posting by international WAGGS trainer and Wikipedia.)
last updated: 2/2008
World Thinking Day is a chance for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to think about their peers in other parts of the world – and what the girls do, more than a chance to learn about a specific country. Perhaps this bit on Chinese Games might help.
More information on Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in China:
The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association
Website: http://www.hkgga.org.hk/eng_index.php (Although there is an ENG button on the top of the page to get English, much of the site is in Chinese.) Use the English side bars on the side to get more information on Guides in Hong Kong including the uniform, Promise and Law that different levels use. (Or see their Promise and Law, in Wikipedia's Hong Kong Girl Guides Association article.)
The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association is a full member of WAGGGS. Guiding was introduced there in 1916. They do not admit boys(*). In 2003 there were over 44,000 Girl Guides in Hong Kong. There are 6 levels in the Guiding programme.
- Happy Bee (小蜜蜂) is a Parent-Child Programme for both boys(*) & girls ages 4 to 6 years old;
- Brownie (小女童軍), from 6 to 12 years old;
- Guide (女童軍), from 10 to 18 years;
- Ranger (深資女童軍), from 15 to 21 years old (including Sea Rangers (15 to 21) and Air Rangers (17-21);
- Golden Guide (樂齡女童軍), over 60 years old; and
- Guider (女童軍領袖), volunteer leader, over 21 years old.
Website: www.girlscout.org.tw
Girl Scouts of Taiwan is a full member of WAGGGS. Guiding was introduced there in 1919. They do not admit boys. In 2003 there were over 28,000 Girl Guides in Taiwan. (There is an "English" button on the top but it does not seem to make much different on the front page of the site.)
Wikipedia's article has the Promise and Law with English translations, or read more at this personal site, or view descriptions of their uniforms.
Macau
Macau and Hong Kong are special administrative regions of the PRC. Macau seems to have (Boy) Scouts but no Girl Scouts or Girl Guides. The Scout Association of Macau is not a member of WAGGGS.
Overseas Scouts in Taiwan & Hong Kong
At least as of February 2007, there were USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) in the PRC and there are also British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) there. (sources: posting by international WAGGS trainer and Wikipedia.)
last updated: 2/2008
Monday, December 11, 2006
See "today's moon phase"
I just added a "Current Moon" picture with basic information on the current moon phase to my Chinese New Year blog. The pictures are much more detailed than the black and white ones on the (free) calendar I supply. The phase of the moon is correct for each day but the actual pictures are not updated daily!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)