Update on my last blog about changes in the Chinese written language, Simplified, that is.
This this NYT is more focussed on people who are forced to change their names as their names are not on the list.
(Via New York Times and thanks to my friend, Kieran who pointed it out.)
With cuts in language support, more awareness is being roused by the media on the concerns of children being left behind, and the government is letting some of our future generation down. 10% of our primary school children were born overseas, that's 44,000 from the article. It keeps using an example from Dublin 15, which is worrying for me, as I'll be settling in Dublin 15 for at least a decade, even though the example is more north-west from where will be settling down. I've read some issues raised by Joan Burton to a school nearby, from crisis of school places in D15 and worries of ghetto schools to a school nearby that won't be open due to low enrollment of pupils.
Even if I start thinking of sending kids to private schools, those school fees would go up due to the budget cuts (more here). It's not going to be easy, is it?
More info:-
* Irish Independent's full data on the ethnic divide
* Scoil Oisin
A Thai relative visiting her sister and husband did not even get a chance to talk/see them was detained and deported at Dublin airport, all because she said she was here to "mind a child". She had broken English, and the Gardaí was suspicious of her intentions here.
The family she is visiting claims that she is here to babysit their daughter while they work their full-time jobs. The sister is a citizen of Ireland, and was not allowed to talk to her sister.
I have relatives coming to visit us over the years, and some have broken English as well, their issue mainly has been immigration at Heathrow, and seem to be alright when they go through Shannon. I would be horrified if any of my relatives were turned back, and would be outraged like this family. They have done nothing wrong, the girl who was deported has never overstayed her holiday visa and never worked, earned a wage. I think Dublin airport should have at least brought in a translator and confirmed the stories on both ends.
(via Irish Independent)
The irony of it though, China will be releasing a new list of characters instead of re-training millions of Mianland Chinese people Traditional Chinese. Simplified Chinese, as name suggests, has less strokes than Traditional Chinese, in effect losing some of the meanings of characters/ideographs.
I don't know how to read/write Chinese as fluently as I can speak Cantonese, but I can read more than I can write (self-taught), and it's all Traditional Chinese. I have always wondered how people understand Simplified, as there are so many Chinese words out there and some characters are down to 3 strokes. Even my mom, aunts (here and in Hong Kong) sometimes find it difficult to read, they have to have it in context and guess the meaning. So in the end, Simplified Chinese may have caused more confusion than anything else.
I'll try and find out more about this list, and post an update on it.
(via Irish Times)
Anyone buy any cakes in here? Only saw this today (from description, it was lashing, so I did not stick around for too long).
For all those who are not versed in using chopsticks, maybe this might help. It's a chopsticks game called Japanese Chopsticks Practice Game, funnily enough.
The cyber homeless, where each person pays $500 a month for a tiny cubicle in an internet cafe.
The cheaters included were parents and teachers. One particular setup had a parent pay a student to scan exam questions to him, he had nine teachers on standby to answer the questions before sending it back to his son. Of course, the ones that are caught are sent to jail. Read more...
The big 4 companies (Sony BMG, Universal, Warner and EMI) are offering free music to China with Google to discourage illegal downloads. Read more...
(Source: Irish Times)
