ateneo celadon chinoy magazine, volume 9, issue 1 (2007-2008)

8/13/2019 Ateneo Celadon Chinoy Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 1 (2007-2008)

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C h i n a E v o l v i n g

China Evolving


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EditorialPardon the temporary submersion into the academic.

Like the chicken or the egg, there is debate amongst scholars regarding what comes rst (chicken), identityor nation-state? The two main camps in the debate are thus: the primordialists who believe that identitypreceded the nation-state, and the modernists who believe in the opposite.

It seems to me that should identity come rst, then it is somewhat static and unchanging, we are who weare forever and ever amen. Thus, I subscribe (based on my dabblings in the eld of sociology? Anthropology?Im not even sure) to the theory that the nation-state should come rst, the thought process going somewhatlike this: We know that nation-states change or are changed by other nation-states, so as a result, identitychanges as well. This, for me, makes more sense than the varied personalities or identities shaping a nation,especially now with all these people trotting around the globe and setting up roots in other countries.

(Okay, I expect the professors out there to start sending in letters now, ripping my imsy analysis)But this is the point, I guess, that I want to make: as nations change, the identity of its people change, and

along with identity, culture changes. Certainly, one can easily make the case that China is changing. In thepast decade it has thrown open its doors to things it had previously shunned, becoming a super-power inmultiple meanings of that term.

So too have the countrys traditions been opened to people of all nations, as you shall read about in thearticles in this issue. Chinas wares have been put on display and people have found them appealing, to thepoint where they are either marveled or homogenized by other countries. They have evolved, keeping theirinherent Chinese-ness, and it is an evolution that is fascinating to track.

Enjoy the issue, we enjoyed putting it together for you,Adrian DyChinoy Editor

(thinks Yi Jianlian should have gone to the Golden State Warriors)


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VP for Comm&Pub:AVP for Comm&Pub:

Editor-in-Chief:Associate Editor-in-Chief:

Writing Staff Heads:

Art Editors:

Layout Editor:

Angela Eliza Lim 3 BS COMTECHRetcher Hans Ching 5 BS ECE

Adrian Dy 4 BS COMTECHNina Suzette Lim 4 AB COMEsme Sheree Fong 2 BS COMTECH

Osmond Go 3 AB COMJacqueline Tanliao 2 BS MGT-HAnna Chua 2 BS HSStephanie Lee 3 AB COMSheena Kristen Sy 2 BS MGTGenevieve Chuachiaco 3 BS COMTECH

Vince Elly Pea 4 BFA ID

Editors

Cover Spread Art: Layout Contributors:

Contributing Writers:

Art Contributors:

Buhay Celadon photos from:

Sarah Tan 2 AB SSMike Alcazar 3 BS MISKevin Arthur Chan 1 BS CH

Charles Kenrick Chua 2 BS MEJeremy Joseph Lim 1 AB ISRyan Chung 4 BS BIODon Michael de Leon 2 AB COMTiffany Lim 1 BS MGTHansel Dy 4 BS ECEKathrina Koa 2 BS MGT

Dominique Du 1 BS PSY Erica Valencia 2 BS MGTTiffany Ong 2 BS MGT

Genevieve Go 2 BS COMTECHMika Aldaba 2 BS CSMargaret Kawsek 2 BFA ID

http://celadon0708.multiply.com/

Contributors

Staff


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Contents ARTICLEFEATURESThe Global Republic of Tea

Brushstrokes & Potshards

Chinaman Can

Zhuyin VS Pinyin

Next Wave: Chinese Studies

Homebrewed

Put Your Mahjong Face On

BUHAY CELADON

Flock Nights

First GA

More Than Just a Marketing Class

Midautumn Gratia is Here!

ART PAGES

PAGE4 - 25

4 - 6

7 - 9

10 - 12

13 - 17

18 - 20

21 - 23

24 - 25

26 - 33

26 - 27

28 - 29

30 - 31

32 - 33

34- 35

The official Chinese-Filipino Organization of the Ateneo de Manila UniversityCopyright All rights reserved. Chinoy is published twice a year and is theofficial publication of the Ateneo Celadon, located at Rm 212, MVP-CSL,Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines,Trunkline: (+632) 4266001 loc 5413. For questions, comments, and suggestions,visit our website at www.ateneo-celadon.com


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4 Chinoy 2007 Midautumn Issue

TEA A few hundred years ago You are served a small cuplled with a clear, brown liquid.

You catch a whiff of its interestingaroma. Cradling it in both hands,

you take a small sip. Its hot, so you dont grasp the taste at once,but moments later your taste budstingle at the mildly bitter tasteof this beverage. It doesnt staybitter for long, however. Slowly, asweetness spreads in your mouthlike a blossoming ower. You areastounded by this remarkablebeverage. You take another sip, thistime admiring the scenery outside

your window as the drink soothes your senses and calms your body.

A few hundred years laterWelcome to the Ateneo. Its hot,

its humid, and youre real thirsty.Dropping by the cafeteria, yougrab a red-labeled plastic bottlelled with a clear brown liquid.After paying at the cashier, youtwist open the cap and take a nicelong swig. The sweet liquid cools

your body and calms you down.

but the most basic tea, amazingly,comes from a single plant. TheCamellia Sinensis is an evergreenplant whose ushes, or top leaves,are processed to make tea. It growsbest in high altitude tropical areasand is actually a tree, but cultivatorskeep it pruned to waist height tomake picking easier.

After picking, the leaves have

THE GLOBAL REPUBLIC OFby Charles Chua

to undergo some processing to bet for brewing, and it is actuallythe extent of this processing thatdetermines the classication ofthe tea. Tea is basically classiedinto black, oolong, green, andwhite varieties, in descendingorder of processing. This includesoxidation, heating, drying, and theaddition of other herbs and fruits.The more you ferment the tealeaves, the darker they get. Blacktea is created when the leavesare allowed to fully oxidize, andwhite tea is barely oxidized at all.Some teas even undergo a secondoxidation to have a richer (usuallymeaning more bitter) avor.

The tea you drink isnt pure tea,though. Theyre usually blendedwith other varieties of tea to create

a better consistency in taste andavor. Teas are very susceptibleto changes in avor due to theenvironment theyre in, so howtheyre stored is very important.However, this also results in anendless degree of variation inthe teas that can be made. This,and the addition of other herbsand avors, resulted in severalspecially-avored teas, like vanillaor caramel-avored teas.

Some teas are called herbalteas, because they hardly contain

You feel better already. You wave hito your barkada and plop down inan empty chair at their table. Timeto nish up that English project,but not before youve had yourdays ll of gossip.

Its served in several ways andgoes by different names, but itsgenerally prepared the same wayit has been since it was discoveredcentur ies ago. Tea is a beveragethats prepared by soaking specicherbs in boiling water, creating thebrew thats enjoyed by people of allages and all places.

Known throughout the world,tea has different varieties, such as

Jasmine, or Earl Grey for example,

The more you ferment the tea leaves, thedarker they get. Black tea is created when theleaves are allowed to fully oxidize, and white

tea is barely oxidized at all.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARGARET KAWSEK


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Camellia Sinensis at all. Theyregenerally a mixture of herbs thatcan be used to make teas as well. Anherbal infusion like that though ismore appropriately called a tisane.

So, where did tea originate?Legend has it that the celebratedEmperor of China was drinkinga bowl of boiling water one daywhen the wind blew and a leaf fellinto his bowl. The water in it thenbegan to change color, and that washow he discovered tea. Indeed, theearliest records of tea-drinking canbe traced back to China, whosepeople have been drinking teafor centuries. Tea-drinking, in

fact, has become so deeply rootedinto Chinese culture that it canbe treated as part of their way oflife. Early writings depicted tea asthe froth of liquid jade, whichwas useful for many things. It wasused not only as medicine to stayawake and think better, but also aspart of the Chinese diet, and evenas a status symbol. The variety oftea you drank reected your rankin society.

The tea culture didnt onlyourish in China, though. Japanesemonks brought tea to their homecountry, and it ourished there aswell. It rst became popular amongthe priests, but soon it too becamea drink of royalty there. After awhile, a Zen priest named Eisaiintroduced it to the politically-

prominent warrior class, and theculture ourished with them aswell. The green variety of teawas particularly popular with the

Japanese; in fact, tea ceremoniesbecame a large part of Japaneseculture.

Europeans also got hold of thisfad, and they soon began tradingfor tea with China. Again, itstarted out as medicine, but soon itbecame a drink for the aristocracywhich soon spread to the masses.With greatly rising popularity, it

TanTEAlizing Tastesby Jacqueline Tanliao

C2, the tea that started it all: 3.0Tangy, denitely tangy. AlthoughC2 has come up with more than 5different avors of iced tea, each sipstill has that same twistthe onethat makes your tongue tingle a bitfrom the sour, sweet and slightlybitter avor all mingling into one

taste. It doesnt hurt that the healthbenets associated with traditionaltea are advertised together withthe drink: natural green tea leaves,brewed gently to retain antioxi-dants that are good for the body.

One White Tea: 2.5Zesto Corporations variationof bottled iced tea came with aunique twist of its own: white tea,

instead of the usual black or greentea. One White Tea promotes se-renity, tranquility and peace ofmind along with its lighter, less

stringent taste. Although the tasteis not quite impressionable as theothers, it stands out because of the

base ingredient, white tea, whichis said to be sweeter than its col-ored counterparts, and superior interms of health benets.

Nestea: 4.0I must confess to having loved thepowdered variation of this whenI was younger, and even now, be-cause the bottled alternative staystrue to its noticeably lemony avor.Of course, nowadays, it has jumpedonto the bandwagon of producingspecially- avored iced teas rang-ing from orange to peach, andeven the Icy-Fresh one, which has

minty to the taste. In contrast withthe other brands, however, Nesteadoes not promote itself throughthe health benets which comewith natural tea. Rather, advertise-ments opt to build up on its bold,thirst-quenching taste andwhocould forget the age-old takethe plunge! commercial.

Lipton Iced Tea: 3.5Heres one brand of bottled icedtea that takes its health benetsseriously. This naturally decaffein-

ated, performance enhancerand ghter of free radicals is dis-tinctive in taste simply because it

is closer to the real thing. Unlikeother bottled teas, Lipton movesaway from the sweet-and-slightly-

sour taste, instead going for thebitter, tea-authentic taste.

Sola Iced Tea: 4.5Although Sola has been around forquite awhile now (around 1999), itstill appears to be a crowd favorite.It came out before any of todaysplastic-bottled teasin fact, Sola isthe only one still contained withina glass bottlebut the taste remainsto be one of the more deliciousavors. True, this particular brand

of bottled tea is pricier than therest, but the taste certainly makesup for it. Not too sweet, tangy inall the right places, yet still comingquite close to the taste of tea. Youcan denitely splurge on it once inawhile and I guarantee, it will beworth it.


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spread to Amsterdam, Paris, Russia,and inevitably the British coloniesin America and so on. Soon, thewhole world knew of tea and itsgreat benets.

As a health drink, tea containsthe amino acid theanine, caffeine,and theobromine, and contains nofat, cholesterol, or proteins. Thismeans that it can provide a soothingeffect that increases alertnesswithout the calories, making it agreat alternative to coffee. Notonly that, several studies have beenmade on tea and have claimed thatit can, with regular consumption,have a positive effect on the overall

health of a person. It can helpprevent cancer, diabetes, HIV, andbad breath, as well as reduce stressand increase cognitive ability. Infact, one of the only drawbacks todrinking a lot of tea is the possibleaddiction or insomnia due tocaffeine overload.

In todays modern world, tea

has evolved, spring-boarded byits great popularity as a healthdrink, and has become available invarieties that more appropriatelysuit todays modern fast-pacedlifestyles. For those who dont likeit hot, there is iced tea, which isserved cold and usually sweetened,an immensely popular refreshmentthat is available almost everywherethese days. Another concoction

Matcha green tea) and has becomea status symbol even in countries itdid not originate in.

Tea, in its entirety, is aphenomenon that has swept theentire world and left it in a health-conscious frenzy. Originatingfrom China and then spreadingto the entire world, tea is theepitome of the cultural harmonythat transcends barriers and leaves

As a health drink, tea contains the aminoacid theanine, caffeine, and theobromine, and

contains no fat, cholesterol, or proteins.is milk tea, tea mixed with milk

usually served with large tapiocapearl balls, available hot or cold.There have even been creationssuch as tea-avored ice cream,cakes, and pastries! Whole shopsand establishments have beenerected just to sell different teaconcoctions. In some cases, teais treated just like coffee (as with

everything united in diversity. In

a world torn by misgivings andpresumptions, tea has showed uswhat it all should be: a myriadof avors to choose from, colorsand avors in ranging from bothextremes, but in the end all leavesfrom the same tea.


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When you hear Chinese art,what comes to mind? Calligraphyand Chinese paintings? The oneswith mountains in black and gray,or perhaps pink or red owers at-tached to green leaves, and then afew Chinese characters at the side?Chinese art stretches back numer-ous centuries in history, as betsone of the oldest civilizations inthe world. While a comprehensivestudy would take pages and pages,below is a brief look at some ofChinas most vibrant art forms.

Pottery and SculptureLike many ancient civilizations,

pottery was Chinas earliest form ofart. Painted pottery came in red orblack (in Northwestern and cen-

tral China), or gray or black withdistinctive shapes (eastern China).Then as the Chinese experiment-ed in their laboratories, bronzeemerged during the Shang dynasty.Bronze vessels, which were exca-vated in archeological sites, wereused mainly for religious rites andwere buried with their owners assymbols of status and wealth

The Chinese also applied theircareful pottery skills to sculpturemaking, exemplied by the famousTerra Cotta Warriors, replicas of

From the Jin-Yuan dynasty (13thcentury), an example of a (white)

jade belt slide worn by membersof the imperial family and high-ranking individuals. The loopwas used to suspend personalaccessories from a belt.

BRUSHSTROKES by Erica Valencia

Qin Shihuangdi (the rst emperorof China)s army, created to followand protect him in the afterlife.

Jade was also used to create toolsand weapons. Its use was expandedto include ceremonial and orna-mental objects as it became asso-ciated with morality, grace, dignityand merit. Jade eventually becamea symbol of wealth and power aswell, so that during the Han dy-

POTSHARDS


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Seated Buddha from Tangdynasty. Dry lacquer with some

gilt and paint.

From left to right: jinwen, jiaguwen, large seal script (dazhuan), small seal script (xiaozhuan), clerical script(lishu), standard script (kaishu), semi-cursive script (xingshu), and cursive script (caoshu)

nasty, only the privileged wereburied with items made of jade.Some rulers and high officials wereeven buried in jade armor, believ-ing that jade armor = body willnot decay = immortality. Unfortu-nately, that belief was later proved= false. It was also in the Handynasty that Buddhism reachedChina from India and as a result,Chinese artists began painting andsculpting images of Buddha andhis holy followers. They werentcarving sculptures of fat Buddhas

yet though. Most of these Bud-dhist artworks were very similar tothe Indian versionsa man with acalm and quiet face, a slender body,curly hair in a bun right on top of

the head, dressed in long garmentssimilar to the Greek toga.

Aside from stone, clay, metaland jade, sculptures were alsomade of wood and lacquer. Lac-quer is the red sap taken from thelac tree, and it was used to createthings like dishes, small statues andlightweight boxes. Things made oflacquer were quite expensive be-cause of the long and costly pro-cess entailed in creating them. Forinstance, one particular kind ofBuddhist statues was created byrst making a rough gure of theBuddha in clay. It was then layeredwith hemp cloth glued togetherby powder and raw lacquer. Theartist had to wait for each layer to

be thoroughly dry before addingthe next, and when all the layer-ing was done, he removed the claycore and applied several coatingsof pure lacquer, and nally paintedthe statue.

PapercuttingBefore paper was invented, the

Chinese were already practicingthe art of cutting on leather andgold and silver foils. During the6th century, men in sacred ritualsused these gold and silver foil cut-tings, while women pasted themon their hair at temples. They werelater used during festivals as gateand window decorations.

Cai Luns invention of paperduring the Han dynasty usheredin the art of papercutting. Some

familiar forms of this techniqueare the Xi or double-happiness

character popular in weddings,Chinese zodiac animals, and Fu orgood luck during the New Year.For added luck, these were col-ored, and continue to be colored,in red.

Requiring only paper and anengraving knife or a pair of scis-sors, papercutting easily expandedand inuenced other forms of artsuch as leather silhouette, clothprinting, embroidery, porcelain-ware and lacquerware. Nowadays,papercuts are used mainly for dec-orations, doors, windows, walls andlanterns, especially during holidaysor festivals.

CalligraphyShufa (way of writing), which

we know more as Chinese cal-ligraphy, is considered one of thehighest art forms. This abstract artexisted even before paper was in-vented and has undergone severalevolutions. One need not knowthe Chinese language to appreci-ate it.

The earliest forms of Chinesewriting appeared in the Shang dy-nasty. The jiaguwen is also knownas the oracle bone script, and itwas carved onto turtle shells andox scapulae for divination purpos-es. Jinwen (metal script) on theother hand refers to the inscrip-tions found on bronze vessels usedfor rituals.

Zhuanshu or seal script was de-veloped during the Zhou dynasty


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immediately following the Shangdynasty. Its rst type, the large sealscript, was developed from the jin-wen while Qin Shihuangdi stan-dardized the second type, the smallseal script, after his unication ofChina. Although it is the oldeststyle that is still used today, manypeople cannot read zhuanshu. It ismainly used for calligraphy and forseals.

The zhuanshu was eventuallysimplied to make administrativeduties faster and more efficientfor the government officials dur-ing the Qin and Han dynasties.The brush, which had been in use

since the Warring States Period(the chaotic period before the Qindynasty), together with the inven-tion of the paper, also facilitatedthis new style of script known asthe lishu, or clerical script. You canidentify the lishu by its at (widerthan it is tall) appearance.

The next three scripts are morecursive and are the ones often usedtoday. They are compared to aperson standing (kaishu), walking(xingshu) and running (caoshu).

The lishu was simplied to thekaishu, or standard or model script.

It is generally the script used to-day (before the simplied formcame along)*, both in writing andin book printing. The strokes arewritten distinctly from each other,making the character look neat.The characters also have the samesize (regardless of the number ofstrokes) and are written in a squaregrid, making its style and appear-ance square.

The current script / runningscript / semi-cursive script orxingshu is like a cursive versionof kaishu and is relatively closer tonormal handwriting. Its appear-ance reects rapid strokes that oc-

casionally merge together, allow-ing the calligrapher to write morecontinuously.

Lastly, the caoshu, grass script orcursive script, is the most cursivestyle of script. Some strokes aremerged into one while others aresimply eliminated, often making itcompletely indistinguishable fromthe same kaishu or lishu character.Lacking the angular lines of thekaishu and xingshu, its appear-ance is highly rounded and soft.Interestingly enough, the caoshuis the source of Japanese hiragana

and numerous simplied Chinesecharacters.

Pottery, sculpture, papercuttingand calligraphy are only a handfulof the art forms that stem from an-cient China but are still alive andthriving today in artifacts, antiqueshops, museums, discussions, writ-ten articles and of course, contem-porary creations, among others.Knowing about them is a way ofpreserving and appreciating theirlong and rich history.


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The centuries-old imageof Chinese in the Philip-pines working primarily

as merchants is still alive and welltoday. Two facts might explainwhy this is so. First, although theChinese constitute less than 2percent of the countrys popula-tion, most list retail and trade astheir livelihood. Add to this thenumber of Chinese Filipinos thatrank among the wealthiest andmost prominent business gureswe have, the so-called taipans, and

thus the popular belief that theChinese are born entrepreneurs iseasily perpetuated. Some dismissthis stereotype as silly, while somebelieve it to be irrefutable. Which-ever the case, the unquestionablysignicant, integral and dynamicrole of the Chinese in this coun-

trys economy merits a sojourninto the fascinating, complex, andat times dark history of Chinesebusiness in the Philippines.

Chinese-Filipino trade predatesMagellans arrival by centuries. Asearly as 960 A.D., Chinese goodsreached the country throughbarter trade of silk, porcelain,farm implements, tortoise shellornaments, swallow nests, motherof pearl, and other products innorthern Philippine islands allthe way to the south. Around the

year 1100, Chinese colonies werefounded along coastal towns.Stories abound of native rajas andprincesses receiving gifts fromChinese merchant emissaries.Intermarriages with the nativerulers were also not unheard of.

When the Spaniards established

themselves in the country, moreChinese traders, artisans, andlaborers, mostly from Fujian, cameand settled down. This resulted inourishing maritime trade andthe Chinese becoming practicallyindispensable to the colonialeconomy since they held a virtualmonopoly of the retail business andartisan work. Recall Jose Rizalsunpleasant yet colorful characterQuiroga in his novel Noli MeTangere. Quiroga was an exampleof a cabecilla, an elite Chinesemerchant who knew how tohobnob with the r ich and powerfulin Spanish colonial society. We canalso see from Rizals novels that theChinese were invariably depicted

as merchants and that Chinesewares were common, especiallyin mestizo households that hadamong others, expensive porcelainand Chinese crafted furniture.

Because of their increasinginuence and number, the Spanishcolonial government attempted toreduce the Chinese hold on thedomestic economy by separatingthem into a district called Parianwhere they lived, worked andtraded their merchandise, andlater by requiring conversion

although the Chinese constitute less than

2 percent of the countrys population, most listretail and trade as their livelihood

CHINAMAN CAN

ILLU S T R AT IO N B Y G E N E V IEV E G O

by Tiff any Paredes Ong


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to Christianity. Consequently,the Parian, which was built in1581-1582 became a commercialcenter where Spaniards, ChineseCatholics, mestizos, and indiosconducted their business. As longas the Chinese continued to bringthe colony economic prosperity,especially through making Manilaan Asian commercial hub, theSpanish offi cials tolerated theirpresence. However, the Spanishgovernments constant fear anddistrust still led to their persecutionand harassment, which in turn ledto massacres.

With the Chineses conversion to

Christianity and their subsequentmarriages to local women, Chinesebusinesses in the Philippines gainedmore stability and longevity. Thesecouples children came to beknown as Chinese mestizos andenjoyed more privileges than eitherthe Chinese or Filipinos from theSpaniards. Their rising economicand social stature expanded theirassets to include large tracts of landor plantations. They usually marriedother Chinese mestizos or Spanishmestizos and came to make up theillustrados. At the end of the 19thcentury, pioneer businesses likeChina Bank, Destilleria Limtuaco,

Yutivo, and Ma Mon Luk startedto appear. Around the same time,Binondo became the commercialcenter during the latter part of the

Spanish rule up until the Americanperiod.From the time of American rule

in the Philippines, Chinese businessgroups have played a pivotal role inprotecting the interests not only ofChinese businesses, but also of thevarious socio-political concernsof the Chinese community itself.That the welfare of their businessis inseparable from the welfareof the Chinese people goes toshow how much business is morethan just a way of life for the

Chinese-Filipinos. The ChineseChamber of Commerce, andlater, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerceand Industry or simply TheFederation, would become themost widely recognized Chinesebusiness group.

After independence, TheFederation and the Chinesecommunity would receive a hard

and unexpected blow targeteddirectly at their businesses. The1950s and 1960s were timesof intense nationalism in thePhilippines that resulted inlegislative acts that constrainedChinese economic activities. TheRetail Trade Nationalization Act of1954 affected at least 80 percent ofall Philippine Chinese businessmen.It restricted retail trade to Filipinosand to exclusively Filipino-ownedcorporations. Non-Filipinos wereeither allowed to continue untiltheir death or were required to closedown in 10 years. To the Chinese,

this meant losing a vital meansof livelihood, for most, the onlyone they ever knew. The threatsof the nationalization laws duringthe presidencies of Magsaysay andGarcia to the Chinese businessesproduced greater support forThe Federation since it seemedto be the only means by whichthe Chinese community couldexert considerable pressure on the

government. Despite appeals to theSupreme Court, the Act pushedthrough and consequently, manyChinese businessmen were forcedto go into alternative businessventures such as manufacturing.

In succeeding presidencies, therelationship of the Federationsleaders to Malacaang would bevital to the state of Chinese ownedbusinesses. Marcos recognized theeconomic and political advantagesthat could be gotten from the localChinese community and thus usedthem for nancial and politicalsupport. The reason that many

Today there is renewed interest in the role thatthe Chinese businesses in various countries play in

the local and global economy.

ILLUSTRATION BY GENEVIEVE GO


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Chinese werent quite opposed toMarcos even during martial law wasbecause he put a stop to the crimesand extortion against the Chinese.There were fewer kidnappings andthere was temporary relief fromnationalist politicians and acts thatmade their economic life difficult.

Since the end of Martial Law,succeeding presidents have turnedto The Federations leaders to seekthe cooperation and assistance ofthe Chinese Filipino community,particularly with regard to supportfor election campaigns, donationsand aid for natural calamities andemergencies, and the adjustment

of prices of certain goods.Today there is renewed interestin the role that the Chinesebusinesses in various countries playin the local and global economy.In the Philippines, Chinesebusinesses have come full circle.Theyve been through heavenand hell, have changed with thetimes, transformed, and have beentransformed by Philippine culture,

politics and events, and are nowmore than ever, helping buildthe Filipino nation. All of theseare shared experiences with theFilipino people. How else can oneexplain the metamorphosis of theChinese image from pre-colonialmaritime trader, to artisan, toQuiroga, to balut or taho vendor, tosari-sari store owner, to hardwarestore owner, to retail companyowner, to business tycoon, to localtaipan? These are familiar imagesin the Filipinos consciousness.With their long history oftrade in the country, it really isno wonder that the Chinese-

Filipinos are recognized today askey economic factors. One lookat Forbes 40 Wealthiest Filipinoslist shows more than a handful ofChinese-Filipinos such as Sy, Tan,Gokongwei and Chinese mestizoslike Consunji and Tantoco. Some ofthe surnames have been prominentfor generations, yet some are justrecent. Several on the list, as wellas a number near the top, are self-

made millionaires and billionaires.Who doesnt know about thestory of number six on the list,

John Gokongwei, who at age 13peddled thread, soap and candlesduring World War II? It seemsclearer now that more than genes,it is likely the core values of hardwork and perseverance that makesone a good businessman. Withthe new generation taking over,many Chinese Filipino businesseshave become more dynamic thanever, adopting modern conceptsand strategies, doing away withblind nepotism and practicingmeritocracy. Whether it involves

new Filipino avors of hopia,a Jollibee or SM in Europe, or atotally new idea, the innovationsand possibilities are endless. Isaid earlier that Chinese Filipinobusinesses have come full circle,but with the way things arelooking now, perhaps theyve only

just begun.


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VSReminisce on your nursery orkindergarten days and picture this:

you are a wide-eyed youngster sit-ting among other kids your age,reciting what seems to be a litanyof pronunciation drills. The teach-er displays a set of ash cards, as

you chirp a, o, e in unison. Af-ter that, you move on to the trickypart: intonations. You tend to getthe second and third tones mixedup, even as you go on to gradeschool and, eventually, high school.For graduates of Chinese schools,this situation sounds rather familiar

ten or more years of this systemis more than enough to get ac-

quainted with it.Now, fast-forward to 2008.Imagine that youre in China forthe much-awaited Beijing Olym-pics. Youre trying to nd your wayaround the city, and you comeacross a road sign with unfamil-iar characters. Lucky for you, thesounds of the characters are spelledout using the Roman alphabet but wait! There seems to be some-thing wrong with the spelling; itsounds kind of funny when youpronounce it. You think to yourself,

Where is Guoyin when I needit? Suddenly, it dawns upon youthat perhaps, youve been learn-ing an obsolete phonetic system allalong or have you?

Written Chinese is ideographicin nature, which means that it isliterally lled with symbols. It con-sists of more than fty thousandcharacters, each representing a dif-ferent word or meaning. Althoughonly ve thousand are in use today,thats still quite a lot thus, theneed for a convenient system ofspelling out the pronunciation ofcharacters. Throughout the years,the Chinese have tried to devise

different phonetic systems, the twomost popular systems being Zhuy-in and Pinyin.

Classical texts and childrensbooks in Mandarin often con-tain small characters printed tothe right of the Chinese charac-

ters. Better known to Chinoys asGuoyin, Zhuyin Fuhao simplyreferred to as Zhuyin, and nick-named Bopomofo after its rst fourcharacters is a phonetic systemthat represents the basic consonantand vowel sounds of the Chineselanguage. With twenty-one con-sonant sounds and sixteen vowelsounds, it consists of a total of thir-ty-seven characters. Its history canbe traced all the way back to earlyRepublican China in 1912, whenthe Commission on the Unica-tion of Pronunciation used an ex-isting shorthand system as a basisfor the creation of an entirely new

system. Back then, it was knownas Guoyin Zimu or ZhuyinZimu. After passing a draft, it was

nally approved on November 23,1918, and was renamed to ZhuyinFuhao in April 1930.

However, after years of wide-

Written Chinese is ideographic in nature, whichmeans that it is literally lled with symbols. It

consists of more than fty thousand characters,each representing a different word or meaning.

ZHUYIN

by Tiffany Lim

PINYINIs the Globalized World Big Enough For Both?


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In The Books spread use in Mainland China,Zhuyin found itself dethroned byanother phonetic system, HanyuPinyin, or simply Pinyin. UnlikeZhuyin, Pinyin is a romanizationsystem, which means that it usesRoman letters to represent Man-darin sounds. Developed in thelate 1950s by the National ScriptReform Congress and approvedby the communist governmentin 1958, it was adopted as the of-cial romanization and phoneticinstruction system of the PeoplesRepublic of China in 1979, thussuperseding older romanizationsystems such as Yale and Wade-

Giles. Eventually, the InternationalOrganization for Standardization(ISO), as well as other internation-al institutions, followed suit, andaccepted Pinyin as the standard ro-manization system for Chinese.

Today, Pinyin reigns supremein Mainland China, with its pri-mary purpose of teaching stan-dard Mandarin pronunciation tostudents. It helps children form anassociation between characters andspoken words. Aside from servingas a pronunciation and translitera-tion guide, Pinyin also has its usesin technology. Computers andmobile phones use it to input Chi-nese text; publications and prod-uct packaging targeted to thoseunable to read Mandarin suchas foreigners or ethnic minorities

make use of it as well. Even out-side Mainland China, it exerts itsdominance: most foreigners andoverseas Chinese learn Mandarinthrough Pinyin. Here in the Phil-ippines, universities such as Ateneode Manila University (ADMU),De La Salle University (DLSU)and University of the Philippines(UP) use it to teach Mandarin as aforeign language.

With Pinyin being used notonly in China, but also in differ-ent parts of the world, it may seem

By Tiffany LimIn Mainland China, Pinyin is com-pulsory in Chinese schools, withstudents learning it as early as kin-dergarten, when they are approxi-mately ve to six years old. Chineseschools or language programs inAmerica have also adopted Pinyinas a medium for learning Manda-rin. In the Philippines, where theChinese school curriculum closelyfollows that of Taiwan, Zhuyin isrst used to introduce students tothe Mandarin language. However,

unlike the Mainland Chinese or

Zhuyin is used from Prep I tofourth year high school. Sometimeduring third year, Pinyin is intro-duced albeit very briey as part

Taiwanese, who can get quite heat-ed over the Zhuyin versus Pinyindebate, Chinoys seem to have noproblem accepting both systems.In fact, some Chinese schools evenadd Pinyin to the curriculum afterthe students have attained a suf-cient grasp of Zhuyin. We askedsome of the countrys well-knownChinese schools about their cur-riculum, and they gave us an ideaof the phonetic systems (or system)that they used:

Zhuyin is solely used for learning Mandarin.

SAINT JUDE CATHOLIC SCHOOLof a series of lessons on the Chi-nese software CStar, in which Pin-

yin is necessary for inputting text.

UNO HIGH SCHOOL

In earlier batches, students madeuse of Zhuyin until high school,until their sophomore or junior

year, when Pinyin is solely used

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ACADEMY (ICA)from that point onwards. However,recent changes brought about theteaching of Pinyin in all levels.

Recent changes in curriculum have resulted in Pinyin being taught fromgrade school to high school

XAVIER SCHOOL

Previously, Pinyin was introduced in high school, but now, Pinyin istaught alongside with Zhuyin in all levels.

CHIANG KAI SHEK COLLEGE:

Zhuyin is taught and applied in all levels.GRACE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

The school uses both Zhuyin and Pinyin, but the latter is introduced inrst year high school.

HOPE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL


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that Zhuyin has reached the brink

of extinction. However, that isntquite the case.True, Pinyin may be more

widespread than Zhuyin, but thatdoesnt mean that its time for thelatter to be buried in the recesses ofhistory! In Taiwan and its outlyingislands, for instance, Zhuyin isstill very much alive. Despite theTaiwan Education Ministrys effortsto replace it with its modiedversion of Hanyu Pinyin, schoolscontinue to use Zhuyin to teachstandard Mandarin pronunciationto children. Textbooks for rstgraders are entirely in Zhuyin,with the use of Zhuyin graduallylessening until the fourth grade,when it is only used as annotationfor unfamiliar characters. It is alsoused to enter information into

computers and mobile phones.Taiwanese aborigines even considerZhuyin to be their primary writingsystem.

Not even Mainland China canfully eradicate Zhuyin, as mostdictionaries give the pronuncia-tions of words in both Zhuyin andPinyin. From time to time, adver-tisements use Zhuyin to write par-ticles, or for added effect.

Chinese schools in the Philip-pines are testaments to the factthat Zhuyin is not yet dead. Stu-

dents earliest exposure to Chinese

is made possible through Zhuyin,and they rely on it to pronounceunfamiliar words, or to look themup in dictionaries. Although Pin-

yin is gradually being introducedto keep up with the changingtimes, Zhuyin is, in the case ofmost schools, taught and used fora longer period of time.

The battle of the two phoneticsystems of Zhuyin versus Pin-

yin has been the topic of muchdebate. Advocates of Zhuyin saythat it is the best device to attainliteracy in Mandarin, because thephonetic transcription of a char-acter is placed right beside it, thusresulting in instant recognition.Through the use of Zhuyin, stu-dents can recognize and pronounceunfamiliar characters. Since it does

not use romanization, the blendingof initial and nal sounds to formthe pronunciation of a character ismore straightforward.

Critics of Pinyin point out thatthe romanization is merely an ap-proximation of the sounds of theMandarin language. Because thereare so many sounds that may seemforeign, it is close to impossibleto accurately romanize Mandarin.The best that can be done is toassign Roman letters to a certainsound, thus leading to mispronun-

ST. STEPHENS HIGHSCHOOLStudents were formerly taughtMandarin using solely Zhuyin,but changes have brought aboutearlier exposure to Pinyin. Today,Pinyin is taught as early as theelementary level.

JUBILEE CHRISTIANACADEMY Both Zhuyin and Pinyin are used;however, the latter is introducedsometime in high school, usuallyin the students freshman year.

PHILIPPINE CULTURALHIGH SCHOOL ANNEXPinyin is used from elementary upto high school.

In The Books cont...


18/40

ciation. For instance, the Chinesecharacter for eight would berendered as ba in Pinyin, whenit is actually pronounced as pa.Non-native speakers often makethe mistake of pronouncing Pin-

yin as it is spelled, which is whythose against Pinyin worry thatlearning Mandarin through Pinyinwill result to awkwardly accentedMandarin. Also, Pinyin is moreof a pronunciation guide than anactual writing system. Thus, it isdifficult to determine the contextof a word written in Pinyin, espe-cially considering that the Manda-rin language is lled with words

which sound alike but have differ-ent meanings, and words that havethe same transliteration in Pinyinbut different intonations.

On the other hand, those in fa-vor of Pinyin assert that it is usedby most of the globalized world;therefore, people must learn it inorder to gain leverage with therest of the world. They say thatPinyin makes it easier for foreign-ers to learn Mandarin, because ituses the Latin alphabet, which hasbeen useful in bridging learnersof languages. Its fastest and easi-est for dictionary look-up, and forentering text and information intocomputers.

Criticism of Zhuyin stems fromits being regarded as difficult andtime-consuming to learn and mas-

ter, especially for foreigners. Ac-cording to cr itics, if Pinyin doesntsolve the problem of homophones,Zhuyin doesnt, either. They alsobelieve that Zhuyin is not worthstudying, considering that notmany countries use it, as opposedto Pinyin.

And so the battle wages on. Itappears that Zhuyin is still put-ting up a brave ght in the midstof globalization and the popularityof Pinyin clearly, it does not in-tend to go down so easily. But one

By Tiffany Lim

CeladoneansSpeak

Zhuyin or Pinyin? This was thequestion that we asked students, aswell as some teachers. Heres whatthey had to say on the Zhuyin-Pinyin debate:

I think [I prefer] Zhuyin becausePinyin isnt that accurate. Howcan you substitute them (Chinesecharacters) with letters whose pro-nunciation doesnt correspond?

Personally, I think it (Pinyin) makesthings more complicated.-Leslie Ching, I-BS BIO, graduate

of Saint Jude Catholic School

I prefer Zhuyin; its more pre-cise.

-Marie Yu-Alberto, teacher, UNOHigh School

Zhuyin is better, because Pinyinresults in mispronunciation. Theonly benet that Pinyin gave meis to type Chinese characters intothe computer.

-Jonnecker Kingsu, I-BS HealthSciences, graduate of Xavier School

I prefer Pinyin, because it can beused for international affairs, andits easier for people who know

English.-Keith Yap, II-BS COMTECH,

graduate of Xavier School

Zhuyin, because Pinyin is a bitunclear; its more for the new gen-eration. Also, I learned Zhuyinrst, and Ive been using it for along time.

-Raiza Corral, II-BS Psychology, graduate of Immaculate Conception Academy

Pinyin, because its easier tolearn and use.

-Katrina Tecson, I-BS MGT, graduate of Jubilee Christian Academy

Pinyin is easier to learn, and itsreadable.

-Christopher Yae, II-AB MECO, graduate of Xavier School

I prefer any of them; Im familiar

with both Zhuyin and Pinyin.-Willy Lee, I-BS MGT, graduateof UNO High School

I prefer Pinyin, because thatswhat I learned in elementary.Aside from that, I type much fasteron the keyboard with letters thanwith Zhuyin.

-Retcher Ching, V-BS ECE, graduate of Philippine Cultural HighSchool Annex

I prefer Pinyin, because it is usedby the globalized world, and I be-lieve that we should use it, to gowith the ow. Its easier to learnbecause the alphabet is familiar,as opposed to Zhuyin, whereinone must learn a whole new al-phabet altogether. The most obvi-

ous weakness of Pinyin that I canthink of is linguistic interference,in which people make the mis-take of pronouncing the letters theway they are pronounced in theEnglish language, instead of learn-ing that the letters correspond tosounds not necessarily similar tothose in English. But, if that canbe overcome, then learning Pinyinwill be no problem.

-Clark Lim Alejandrino, professorof Basic Chinese and Advanced Chi-nese, Ateneo de Manila University


19/40

I choose both. Pronunciation-wise, Zhuyin is more accurate, butits harder to learn. Pinyin, on theother hand, allows anyone whoknows the English alphabet toread Chinese. But, theres a big dif-ference between the way Chinesecharacters are supposed to soundand the way they are spelled inPinyin.

-Lalaine Lim, I-BFA ID, graduateof Chiang Kai Shek College

Zhuyin is better, because it ismore accurate.

-Charmaine Chong, I-BS MGT-H, graduate of St. Stephens HighSchool

I nd Zhuyin more accurate. Be-sides, its what Ive grown used to,so its what I prefer.

-Rachelle Uy, I-BS MGT-H, graduate of Saint Jude CatholicSchool

Celadoneans Speak cont...cant help but wonder if Zhuyin isreally endangered, if there trulyexists a threat that it will one daybecome obsolete. Will things reallyboil down to a matter of survivalof only one, and should Pinyin bethe only one left standing? Canthe world not make any room forZhuyin? Despite much ado over

which phonetic system is better, itseems that both Pinyin and Zhu-

yin are functionally equivalent,that they can coexist, as Chineseschools in the Philippines haveshown. Perhaps the world mightbe big enough for these two to ex-ist, after all.


20/40


In todays virtually borderless globalenvironment, our generation nowmeets numerous opportunities forpolitical and economic growth.Through constant interchange withnations slowly emerging as worldpowers, the Filipino people gainknowledge and the skills necessary

to apply them in working towardnational development.Among the numerous countries

engaging in a mutual relationshipwith the Philippines, Chinasignicantly stands out, with theculture, traditions, and values ofits people closely knitted withour own. With Chinas growingpresence in the international arena,it now inspires Filipinos to increasetheir knowledge of China in orderto promote a strong relationshipwith the Philippines.

To further empower youngFilipinos in engaging with Chinafrom different dimensions andperspectives, the Chinese Studiesprogram of the Ateneo De ManilaUniversity now opens a newavenue for a deeper and broader

understanding of ChinatheBachelor of Arts in Chinese Studiesdegree.

Since its establishment in 1987,the Chinese Studies programhas facilitated the teaching ofMandarin and other coursesin Chinese Studies, includingthe offering of a Minor in

Chinese Studies. Currently inits 20th year in the Ateneo, theChinese Studies program nowlaunches the AB Chinese Studiesundergraduate degree, whichoffers a comprehensive knowledgeof Mandarin Chinese (18 units)and an understanding of Chinese

history, culture, and government,among others (15 units). In sodoing, the degree aims to equip the

The AB Chinese Studies [degree] has theunique feature of allowing its student to spend a

junior year abroad in China

NEXT WAVE: by Don Michael de Leon

Chinese St

student with a continuing interestin developing relations betweenthe Philippines and China and anappreciation of positive Chinesevalues.

The AB Chinese Studies degree

has three specic tracks: 1.) thebusiness track, which covers thefundamentals of business in aChinese context; 2.) the humanitiestrack, which focuses on aesthetictheories and the literature and artsof China; and 3.) the social sciencestrack, which provides a broad

treatment of the social realitiesin China and the frameworks foranalyzing them.

Aside from enabling its studentsto access substantial resourcesin Chinese Studies through theConfucius Institute and theRicardo Leong Center for ChineseStudies, the AB Chinese Studiesdegree also provides venues forlearning Chinese Studies rsthand.The AB Chinese Studies [degree]has the unique feature of allowingits student to spend a junior year


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dies

abroad in China, said Clark LimAlejandrino, a full-time facultymember of the Chinese Studiesdepartment.

AB Chinese Studies undergrad-uates have the option of takingthe equivalent of certain coursesin their curriculum at the Jesuit

Beijing Center for Chinese Stud-ies and the Sun Yat-Sen University,the offi cial partner of the Ateneofor the Confucius Institute, amongothers. We have several partnersin China like Jesuit Beijing Centerand Zhongshan University. Oth-ers partners can be found in HongKong, Taiwan and Macau, Alejan-drino added.

Contrary to some expectationsthat only Chinese-Filipinostudents would take interest inAB Chinese Studies, Alejandrino

pointed out that the rst twostudents who expressed theirinterest to double major are notethnic Chinese. There are actuallymore non-Chinese students takingour Chinese language classes thanethnic Chinese studentsthere is

so much interest in China nowamongst Filipinos, Alejandrinoexplained.

Anina Mendoza (III-AB IS),a Filipino student, sees the ABChinese Studies degree as anopening for both Chinese and

non-Chinese students to explorenew elds of learning. If you wantto succeed in life, its important tostep out of your comfort zone andexplore new cultures, Mendozasaid.

As a bridge of understanding

between the Philippines and China,the AB Chinese Studies degreegives its undergraduates a widevariety of career opportunitiesin the Philippines and abroad.A degree in Chinese Studiesopens the graduate to careers in

There are actually more non-Chinese studentstaking our Chinese language classes than ethnic

Chinese studentsthere is so much interest inChina now amongst Filipinos.


22/40


Summary of Chinese Studies Major CuuriculumAteneo de Manila University Courses

business, tourism, foreign service,research, teaching, writing, allin relation to Chinas great andgrowing inuence in the world,Alejandrino said.

One needs skills to engagewith an entity as complex asChina and Chinese culture, headded. A degree in ChineseStudies can provide preparationand tools for doing so. Groupsand organizations are looking forpeople who understand China andhave the tools for engaging it. Thisis the advantage of taking ChineseStudies as your major.

While the AB Chinese Studies

is a newly offered degree, MarvinOng (II-AB Com) and TrishTorres (III-AB IS) recognize theadvantages that it can provide tostudents. I think its good to learnabout other cultures, especially sothat you will be a global person,Ong said. [The AB ChineseStudies degree] will help more onpeople who want to put up theirown businesses, kasi most people [inbusiness] speak Chinese. And morethan knowing and understandinglanguage, people could understandculture, [especially] non-Chinesepeople, Torres added.

Beyond the promise ofcareer opportunities and globalinteractions with China andthe world, the AB ChineseStudies degree underscores the

importance of the Ateneos visionof persons for others throughintercultural understanding andexchangeWhat is important inour work is how we make peoplemore aware of other cultures andpromote understanding amongstdifferent people. A person forothers has to understand whatmakes other people differentbut at the same time similar. It ishere that one can relate to othersand become person for others,Alejandrino said.

Core Chinese Studies Coursesto be taken by All AB ChineseStudies Majors

Core Courses: 33 unitsBusiness Track

Business Courses: 18 unitsHumanities Track

Humanities Courses: 18 unitsSocial Sciences Track

Social Sciences Courses: 18 units

Mandarin Chinese Levels 1-5History of ChinaChinese PhilosophyGovernment and Politics ofChina

Cross Cultural Communicationin the Chinese Context

Research MethodsResearch in Chinese Studies

Fundamentals of AccountingFundamentals of Finance

Practical Chinese for BusinessPrinciples of MarketingDoing Business in ChinaModern Chinese Economy

Introduction to AestheticsInterdisciplinary Approaches tothe Arts

Introduction to ChineseLiterature

Chinese Language Elective (e.g.Classical Chinese, PracticalChinese for Business)

Chinese Studies HumanitiesElectives (e.g. Modern ChinesePhilosophy, Chinese Art andSociety)

Survey of Social TheoriesBasic Statistics for Social SciencesModern Chinese Economy

Chinese Language Elective (e.g.Classical Chinese, PracticalChinese for Business)

Chinese Studies Social SciencesElectives (e.g. Chinas ForeignPolicy,History and Culture in ChineseFilms)


23/40


Medicine will always be animportant part of human life.Before its discovery, people fell preyto even the least fatal of diseases,and even more people became tooweak to do any relevant work forsociety. The arrival of knowledgeof medicines turned the tables inour favor, and one of the earliestcivilizations to enjoy its fruits wasthe Chinese.

Since the dawn of civilization,the evolution of Chinese medicinehas yet to come to a halt. Millennia

ago, these medicines were believedto give the most powerful effects,from improving eyesight to grantingbetter health, as multivitaminsdo now. In fact, these wondrousmedicines were even believedto bestow immortality upon anindividual. Of course, time andunsuccessful trials have made us allcome to know that such medicinesdo not grant anyone the power tolive longer than the land we standon not even close.

Traditional Chinese medicines

medicines are classied using threemethods. These methods are theFour Natures, the Five Tastes, andthe Meridians.

The Four Natures classify theseherbs using Yin and Yang, thetwo extremes. These four are thecold, cool, warm, and hot, with

Yin being the coldest and Yangbeing the hottest. Chinese herbaldoctors check the inner harmonyof the persons Yin and Yang to seeif there is an imbalance, and thengive the appropriate medicines to

even a person out.The Five Tastes refer to pungent,sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. All ofthese have their own characteristicsand traits, and are used to treatdifferent kinds of ailments.Pungent herbs are believed torestore the balance and strengthof the persons energy streamingthrough his veins. Bitter medicinesare used to eliminate excess heatfrom the body. Salty medicines aresimilar to the bitter ones in thatthey both help the physical aspects

do, however, help you in reachinga longer human life span bygiving you a much healthier andmore powerful body. How to get

your hands on them if youre notChinese, or dont live in China?Availability isnt a problem, sincethese medicines are so widespreadand can be found in many places.

Perhaps the easiest places tond Chinese medicine are inChinatowns. Whether in thePhilippines or in any othercountry, these small communities

contain most medicinal sourcesthat are related to traditionalChinese medicines. These Chinesedrug stores all typically look thesame, having a simple entranceand a slightly cramped area thathouses shelves and glass containers

displaying roots and herbs of allkinds.

The roots and herbs arentsimply crammed into any which

jar at random, nor are prescriptionsmerely haphazardly put togetherconcoctions. All Chinese herbal

Uncommon Cures For Common AilmentsHOMEBREWED

by Jeremy Lim


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of the body. These particular herbsaid in cleaning the bowels of theperson, to ease metabolism. Sweetmedicines usually exhibit a strangequality that allows them to x theharmony of various functions ofthe body. Sour herbs are usuallyused as acids to help the body inits various functions.

The Meridians classify the herbsaccording to the organs whichthey aid. These can be anywherefrom your lungs to your heart andto any other organ you have, andis important in harmonizing thefunctions of your bodily systemsappropriately.

There are probably hundreds ofdifferent kinds of Chinese remediesand herbs, and even more differentpowerful combinations. One ofthe most famous and most widelyused medicines of the Chinesewould probably be Ginseng. Thisextraordinary herbs most usefulpart is its root, which vaguelyresembles the shape of a person. Itis believed that when consumed,the person who took it will beless subject to illnesses by havinghis immunities and his generalhealth boosted. The quality of theGinseng is vital to its effectiveness.It is said that these are best whenin very thin slices and worst whenthe opposite is employed. Usedonly by some areas back then, thisplant is now being used by people

all over the world. In fact, it hadsuch a profound impact on societythat people from as far west asAmerica have started using it.

Similar to the Ginseng wouldbe what many people call theSwallows Nest. Other peoplecall this Korean Ginseng, since itpretty much does the same thingas the former medicine withthe similar name to increasehealth and to render you lessvulnerable to diseases. However,what many people dont know is

that Korean Ginseng is not madefrom Ginseng at all. In fact, it is,quite literally, a swallows nest. Buthow does a swallows nest help inregulating body functions? It is inthe construction of the nest thatenables it to work. First, a swallowtakes all the materials it needs, eatsthem up, and regurgitates them allto start as construction materials forits home. This regurgitated mold

is then used as the only materialfor the nest. Without the chemicalreaction of the materials with theswallows enzymes, this medicinewould probably have a muchweaker effect. Contrary to popularbelief, the Swallows Nest wouldactually taste better than mostother Chinese medicines. It has asweet taste, and its texture is similarto that of jelly. As long as you thinkof it as something other than birdregurgitation, it would be easy tokeep eating it every day. However,there is one distinct disadvantageto this miracle product it issaid that it works best only when

sold in tiny bottles, packed withina neat orange box.

Another famous herb wouldbe the Tienchi, which is usually,in modern times, ground up intoa ne powder and placed intocapsules. When swallowed, theTienchi is believed to increasethe persons growth rate. Thedisadvantage though is that Tienchiin its uncapsuled glory is horridly

disgusting to eat, and, if by somereason the capsule is punctured,dont try to lick the powderpouring from the hole you willsoon come to regret it. The processin how it aids in continual growthis unknown even to most learnedpeople, but several suggest somemessing around with the hormonesreleased by the pituitary gland.

Not all Chinese medicines needto be related to health and growth.Take the pearl, for example. Whencrushed and eaten, it is believedthat these ivory-colored beadswill help in giving the person awhiter complexion and smoother

Contrary to popular belief, the Swallows Nestwould actually taste better than most other

Chinese medicines.

Other Chinese medicines include deer antlers,tiger whiskers, dried insects, and many more

strange and exotic materials.consumed early in the morning,usually around 3 A.M. That wouldsurely disrupt a comfortable rest.

Now that were through withbird saliva, lets move on to snakebile, just as effective and no lessdaunting. This liquid, when drunk,is known to dissolve whateverphlegm you have within yourthroat and helps you to spit it outeffortlessly. Today, these can befound in most Chinese drug stores,

skin. Another use of this expensiveoyster refuse would be as a cream,which is then applied to the skin.Whatever the application, it moreor less has the same effect.

Other Chinese medicinesinclude deer antlers, tiger whiskers,dried insects, and many morestrange and exotic materials.Though expensive, many of thesemore exotic goods are not quiteas effective as you want them to


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be. Most of these have little to nophysical effect but instead, pointto a psychological nature, theway placebos work. In additionto their utter rarity, most of thesemedicinal artifacts help inendangering many of the alreadydecreasing species of animals.

Today, most of these medicinescome as tablets, capsules, andsyrups (however, Chinatowns

mostly still sell them as herbs androots). Though they dont carrywith them the same horrid tasteand appalling appearances, theyare generally made from the samematerials.

Its such a wonder how anancient tradition such as this theusage of Chinese medicine hassurvived until the modern times. Itsability to cure ailments of all kinds

proves to be effective in all areasof the world, and nothing seems tobe stopping its rapid spread. So thenext time youre told to eat thoseold disgusting roots, dont eventhink of refusing. Take it like yourfather, like your ancestors, and likethe most powerful emperors inChinese history, because past orpresent, thats just what Chinesemedicine is a modern tradition.


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However, Confucius lived over2500 years ago and there is, in fact,no evidence that suggests the exis-tence of mahjong before the midto late 1800s. Theories vary as tothe manner of its conception butgames involving cards and tileshave existed in China for quitesome time and it is possible thatmahjong is simply an evolution ofan older, preexisting game.

The name Mah Jong roughly

translates to sparrow game orchattering sparrows. Sparrowsare traditional symbols of hap-piness in much of East Asia. Onereason perhaps, why Confuciusis often linked to mahjong is be-cause Confucius liked sparrows,using them to illustrate many ofhis teachings, and thus named thegame after them. The name couldalso refer to the chattering soundtiles make when being shuffled.

Youll often nd sparrows paintedor carved on tiles for decorative

purposes.Mahjong tiles, in themselves, are

works of art, and well-made sets areoften highly prized. Vintage ivorysets with intricate artwork can costa fortune. Some older generationsstill have them locked away, to bepassed on to children along withthe rules and spirit of the game.A worldwide trade embargo im-posed on ivory in the 1970s hassince prevented ivorys further use.

Tiles today are mostly made of ce-ramic, and sometimes wood andplastic. Aesthetics, however, remaina signicant factor. A tile-maker isfree to design within the limits ofnecessary symbols and as a result,tiles can range from almost plainto ornate, from the classic to themodern.

Just as mahjong perhaps evolvedinitially from other games, differ-ent forms of Mahjong evolvedfrom the original version. There isnow at least one version in every

country where mahjong is found.That includes such variations asFilipino mahjong, Taiwanese, Japa-nese, American, Vietnamese andMalaysian. China itself plays hostto many regional versions: Can-tonese (Hong Kong), Szechan andFukien, among others. And whileall versions stemmed from a singletraditional Chinese style of play,the original is now rarely played,except by some very loyal follow-

ers, especially in the east, wherethe Cantonese version, the mostsimilar, dominates.

Generally, to win, you need a setof ve triplets and a pair. Each ofthe four players starts with a wallof 16 tiles. All the other tiles areleft face down between the fourwalls. The starting player picksfrom the center, and has the op-tion of throwing it back downface-up, or keeping the chosen tileand throwing down another onefrom his wall. The same goes for

PUT YOUR

by Dominique Du

MAHJONG FACEIn the 1920s, a Chinese tile gamemade its way to America, and withit came the exotic romance of anancient, far-away culture. One Jo-seph Babcock, a representative ofthe Standard Oil Company whowas based in Shanghai, began im-porting mahjong sets to the USaround that time, and, in attemptto increase the games popularity

and accessibility, even published amanual of revised and simpliedrules. To sell tile sets, the propri-etors of the game publicized mah-

jong as an ancient scholars pasttime, dating back to the days ofConfucius, invented by the greatphilosopher himself.

ON!

ILLUSTRATION BYMIKA ALDABA


27/40


all succeeding players. This goeson until someone comes up witha winning set.

Tiles are either suits, honor tiles,or owers. Mahjong is money-suited, meaning each suit repre-sents a sum of money. Dots repre-sent copper coins; they range fromone to nine dots a tile. Bamboosrange from one stick to nine to a

tile; each stick represents a hundredcoins strung together. Charactershave the actual numerals paintedon them; they range from one tonine, each representing ten thou-sand coins. Honor tiles are eitherWind tiles or Dragon tiles. Windtiles have the characters for each ofthe four wind directions (North,South, East and West) on them,whereas there are three Dragontiles, the red, the green and thewhite. On the red tile is a red char-acter for middle or center, onthe green is a green character forprosperity. The white tile is sim-ply a white tile, although it is cus-tomary to draw a blue patternedborder around it to distinguish itfrom the blank white replacementtile included in most sets. Flowers

either represent each of the fourseasons, spring, summer, fall andwinter, or one of four owers: theplume, the orchid, the chrysanthe-mum, or bamboo.

Filipino Mahjong features a Joker tile, which can basically takethe place of anything else whennecessary. When the player whoseturn comes before yours throwsaway a tile, you can pick it up toform a meld. A triplet meld, orsimply a set of three matching tiles,is a Pong. A quadruplet meld is a

Kong. A three-tile sequence meld(for example, one dot, two dots,three dots) is a Chow. A Yan, or aEye, is a matching pair. The rstperson to build a pair-and-ve-triplet hand wins.

Rules, as said, vary. Frankly, youdont have to understand the twistsand turns of Mahjong to play thegame, and have a good time do-

the other way around. Along withheirloom sets, it is the game itselfthat is passed on from generationto generation, as well as betweenfriends. You do not, of course, haveto be Chinese to appreciate it. Itis a time-honored tradition gain-ing popularity and inevitably, sta-tus. Today, among Asias youth, thegame is becoming more and more

ing it. If you are, however, serious

about mastering it, know that it isa game of reason and intelligence.Mahjong in its nest form is acomplex amalgamation of experi-ence, skill, recreation, tradition andluck. Mahjong is, in more waysthan one, a legacy. The evolutionand spread of mahjong mirrorsthat of Chinese culture itself. Inplaces like the Philippines, whereChinese culture exists in semi-exclusive interrelated pockets, thegame is typically an excuse for afamily or friends reunion, and

cool (for lack of a better word). In

Japan its an arcade game. In HongKong, Mahjong gures greatly inCantonese pop culture entertain-ment. The Mahjong movie is alegitimate sub-genre. Mahjong he-roes have joined the ranks of suchromanticized gures as the Westscard mavericks and ancient Chinasmartial artists. And just like Chi-nese culture will never fade, nei-ther will this tradition so eagerlybeing preserved by generations ofplayers.

Mahjong in its nest form is a complexamalgamation of experience, skill, recreation,

tradition and luck.

Di naman gambling pag walang pera (Its not gambling if theres no moneyinvolved), - Gelo Julian (2 AB MEC).


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CeLadonFlockNights

Celadons Flock Nights was really memorable this year! Each department deserves a pat on the back for reallydressing up! But before we dissect the themes of each department, allow me tell you what department nightis all about. Basically, it is a general assembly that concentrates on department members getting to know co-department people; it also acquaints them with their numerous projects. Another dening characteristic of thedepartment nights is that each department has a theme designed to make their new members more outspokenand outgoing! Now that you know what its all about, lets start with each departments themes!

The COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICATIONDEPARTMENT headed byChrista Uymatiao had a cosplaytheme. For all the anime-fanaticsout there, this was their chance tosee their favorite Anime charactersup close and personal! Better yet,be them!

The CULTURALDEPARTMENT counteredCnPs costume party withpirates! Welcome aboard zeGhost Ship!! Captain RichardKoa has given orders to hoist theanchor and set sail to attain thesunken treasure. Aye lads ye hearme right, its ze treasure we seek!Surely, there isnt any inter-

department competition but then,the Cultural Department reallydid a superb job in this yearsock night.

by Kathrina Koa with contributions by Osmond Go

The Cultural departments bravepirates were matched by theEXTERNALS DEPARTMENTS extremely fear-free theme:pajama party! Simple as it maysound, only the courageous andadventurous ones can ever pass thischallenge especially in front ofstrangers and in public.


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Speaking of courage, do youhave what it takes to gamblebig time? The CORPORATE& FINANCIAL AFFAIRSDEPARTMENT, headed byKeith Villanueva, dared people toaim big. Can anyone guess what itis? The theme is Casino Royale:Las Vegas bring in the moneyand the place was changed into a

real-life casino with the roulettes,slot machines and the like! Justkidding, but if we did, we wouldhave been an even more smashinghit than we already are!

In line with the work theyare providing, the HUMANRESOURCE DEPARTMENT under Alexis Ventura, came upwith the theme: meet the ockers.The managers came dressed upin farmer costumes and played allsorts of barn games (e.g.. AnimalAct Bingo and Animal Sounds). Itwas fun to see the managers andthe members cluck like chickens,moo like cows and even snort likepigs!

There you have it, the ve

departments of Celadon with theirunique themes and ideas, all heldat the Walter Hogan ConferenceRooms last July 27 and August10. All in all, each department wasdressed to impress and were toomemorable to forget. And, for allwho werent able to attend, youmissed out on a lot of fun! But,what did it take to make theseideas become a reality?

To begin with, it most denitelyrequires a lot of careful planningand dedication. The actual

planning took place during the

April planning seminar whilemost people were already invacation modes. Next is tryingto nd theme that best suits theirdepartment. At the same time ithad to be something fun enoughto make the new members comeout of their shy shells. Planning,purchasing, and preparing for thedecorations while squeezing itwithin the budget!

After decorating the venues,they have to make sure that thedepartment nights would be a

success by adding Group Dynamics

here and there. To enumerate afew, there were Sagady-Sagady-Sapopo, Barnyard Sounds, SecretMessages, I Like and many more!Lastly, after cleaning up, the Command Pub department organized animpromptu party/dance sessionfeaturing music from the SpiceGirls, Backstreet Boys, etc.

Based on the success andinvolvement of the members andmanagers in the department nights,we are bound to expect goodthings from Celadon this year.

It was a very enlightening experience for a new manager like me. I wouldntsay it was perfect, there were a lot of good and bad experiences, but they all

led me to new realizations - Christa Uymatiao, 2 AB EU


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Last July 20, Friday, at 4:30-7:00pm,Celadon kick-started the school

year with its much-awaited FirstGeneral Assembly held at MVPCenter for Student LeadershipRoofdeck (MVP Roofdeck). De-spite the ckle monsoon weatherpouring down its rains that after-noon, everyone still congregated atthe said venue to meet and greetfellow Celadoneans for the rst

time this year. Moreover, everyonewas in for an exciting sneak peakof what Celadon had in store forthem!

The event began the Ateneanway with a prayer led by this yearsExecutive Vice President TrinaColeen Ong (IV AB EU, Minor inFrench Studies). The microphonewas then passed on to Ted AngeloChua (V BS ECE), Celadons Pres-ident for the school year, who gavethe opening remarks. Fr. AristotleDy, S.J., Celadons moderator, also

FirstGeneral Assemblyby Ryan Chung with contributions by Esme Fong

gave an inspiring talk that de-nitely sparked up the Celadonean-spirit. Afterwards, hosts Madel Ch-ing (II AB POS) and Kathleen Go

(II AB COM) took over the oorfor the rest of the evening and keptthe crowd awake and full of energydespite the gloomy weather.

A series of video presentationsentertained everyone who at-tended the general assembly. Eachof the ve departments: CulturalAffairs (Culto), Human Resources(HR), External Affairs (Externals),Communications and Publications(C&P), and Corporate and Finan-cial Affairs (CFA), premiered theirspecial video productions which

showcased their respective upcom-ing projects; starring, of course, themanagers with their own VPs andAVPs.

To keep the ball rolling, modelsMaxine Ang (I BS MGT-H), Joan-na Darlene Haw (I BS PSY), Clau-dine Avery Jao (I BS BIO), KathleenLee (I AB COMM), Mary ClarePineda (I AB PSY), Shantelle Tan(I BS COMTECH), Sheree Chua(II AB LIT-ENG), Genevieve Go(II BS COMTECH), Honey Sy (IIBS CS), Christa Uymatiao (II ABEU) and Genevieve Chuachiaco(III BS COMTECH) wowed theaudience during the fashion showas they strutted their stuff wearing


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Tomato apparel loud and proud onthe catwalk.

And when everyone thoughtCeladons First General Assemblywas coming down from its climax,the engaging video presentationof the Executive Board got every-

ones eyes teary with laughter andexcitement!Towards the end of the night,

everyone got to mingle with eachother as they lled their stomachswith delicious snacks. Finally, FirstGeneral Assembly project headsKimberly Yu (II BS MIS), PatriciaPalmero (II BS MGT) and Isabelle

Yap (II BS ME) gave the closingremarks and thanked everyonewho came and turned the eventinto a success.


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You dont need to be a Manage-ment student in order to learnmarketing! All it takes is to be aCeladonean to learn its basics! Infact, last August 11, members andmanagers made their way to theFaura Audio-Visual Room to at-tend this years marketing seminardubbed: Celadons MarketingTraining Division: Going BeyondThe Classroom.

According to project managersMyreign Heart Sua (4 BS MGT-H) and Kimberly Go (3 BS LM),the activity was organized for thebetterment and growth of Celadon.This seminar teaches its membershow to attract more companies tofund projects for the organization.

It also trains members to become

future leaders by boosting theircommunication, presentation, andnegotiation skills.

Celadon alumni Birdie Salva(BS MIS 05), Joanne Tan (BS LM07), Charlotte Chua (BS MGT07), and Brian Dy (BS MGT 07)shared their expertise on how toattract sponsors. They also relatedto the participants what companiesare looking for in a project.

Group dynamics such as Painta Picture from the movie Shrekand Pinoy Henyo were conductedto boost their condence in theiractivities.

To be able to apply whatthe members learned from thespeakers, they participated in some

activities prepared for them after

each lecture. First, the participantswere formed into smaller groups.These groups then received aproject concept in order for themto formulate a project proposal.Similar to the Offi ce of StudentActivities (OSA) concept ofcreating a project proposal, thegroups discussed what the projectwas all about, its objectives andtarget market, and how theproject would go in order for itto become successful. Afterwards,groups were assigned to contacta company using the phonebooths provided by approachingone of the judges for the day.Since a key factor of a successfulproject is a company thats willing

to sponsor it, each group neededto propose good deals to thecompany in an active, condent,polite, and eagerly manner, so thatthe company would be willingto sponsor their project.

Finally, before the seminarended, the groups geared up fora mock presentation. Each groupprepared a slideshow presentationof the project for the companythey were assigned to. A panel of

judges, composed of Terry Ang (BSLM 07), speakers Charlotte Chua

MORE THAN JUST Aby Hansel Dy

MARKETING CLASS


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and Joanne Tan, Elfrida Tan (4AB MEC), Zaza Chiusinco (4 BSMGT), and Celadon President TedChua (5 BS ECE), evaluated thegroups performance to determinethe best group of marketers.

Ted said that despite the lowturnout of attendees, the seminarwas a success. He believed thatthe speakers expertise and focusin marketing would undoubtedlyinstill in the attendees all that theyneeded to be excellent marketers.One of the speakers, Charlotte

Chua, remarked, It was fun and Ithink it was very enriching since

the participants had opportunitiesto learn from talks and practicewhat they learned.

It was fun and informative,affi rms Zhandra Tan (1 AB EU),a participant of the seminar. Sheadds, and the people who wereinvolved [sic] were great! TeegeeGo (4 BS MGT-H) likewise givesthumbs up to the event by sayingquality beats quantity.


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Heads up, Celadonean! Are youeager to cap off your rst semes-ter with fun and games, selessoutreach to those in need, andsincere appreciation for your be-loved teachers? Then sit still andread on, as Chinoy takes you to acrisp preview of Ateneo CeladonsMidAutum Gratia 2007! But rst,here are some tidbits to answerthose questions oating in yourmind:

Ateneans look forward to twomain events in the MidAutumnGratia: the MidAutumn DiceGame, an easy-to-learn traditionto celebrate the full moon and thesummer harvest that is still widelypracticed by many Chinese Fili-pino families; and the annual Fac-ulty Appreciation Week celebra-tion, where students are allowed tonominate or vote for teachers inseveral categories such as Funni-est Teacher, Akala Ko Terror andThe Legend, among many oth-

ers. Faculty trading cards are alsosold during the week.

will be invited to be involved inan outreach activity following theMidAutumn Gratia.

We want to have a bigger andlonger sustainable area this year bychoosing one area and addressingits needs, said Elfrida Tan, AteneoCeladon Vice President for Cul-turals. Unlike the past outreaches,this outreach is not a one-time-big-time event; instead, it will bedone on a series of around 4-5weeks, Tan added.

by Don Michael De Leon

Whats new in this yearsMidAutumn GratiaCelebration?

In line with the theme OscarAwards, this years MidAutumnGratia Celebration marks thelaunch of the Confucius Awardsto be given to Loyola Schools Fac-ulty members on September 21at the MVP roofdeck. During thecelebration, teachers and students

What is the MidAutumnGratia?

A combination of two annual

Celadon projects (Faculty Appre-ciation Week or Gratia and theMidAutumn Celebration), theMidAutumn Gratia aims to bothhonor Ateneo educators and cel-ebrate the summer harvest in a cel-ebration of gratitude, be it for edu-cation or for personal blessings. Indoing so, the MidAutumn Gratiaaims to instill the value of grateful-ness and help bridge the culturalgaps in our society.

What happens duringthe MidAutumn Gratia?

How can I help?Be involved! Join the dice game,

make new friends as you play, votefor your favorite teachers and col-lect their trading cards, eat moon-cakes that will be sold during theweek, and most importantly, at-tend the September 21 celebrationand participate in the upcomingoutreach programs! With yourpresence, we can make this yearsMidAutumn Gratia an unforgetta-ble celebration of gratitude for all!

See you on MidAutumn GratiaWeek!

Midautumn Gratia is Here!


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In line with this issues theme, co-art editor SheenaSy has interpreted several Chinese men andwomen who have made it big globally in her ownunique style. Enjoy!

Stephen Chow, director and starof Kung-Fu Hustle

The one and only Jackie ChanCenter Yao Ming of the HoustonRockets

Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi,

stars of Hero andmany other lms

spot the difference

Sheena Sketches

artpages


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S U D O K U


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Faculty Trading Cards


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The Ofcial Publication of the Ateneo Celadon

China Evolving

ateneo celadon chinoy magazine, volume 9, issue 1 (2007-2008)

Documents