consumers, including restaurants, Karaoke, and online shopping malls. younger targeting companies for opportunity great a become has holiday, it this of celebration the in join people more As saw an above-average number ofmarital celebrations in Hong Kong and Beijing. will use this date and this meaning to tell their special someone that they are the only ‘one’ in their heart, and 2011 (11.11.11) me.’ one for only people ‘the Some in as one’ mean meaning ‘single,’ ‘only also to date addition can the In the of four ‘ones’ on thisdate, and otherlove-related issues are discussed by the Chinese media. Baozi one Although this date is meant to celebrate singlehood, the desire to find a spouse or mate is often and expressed by young Chinese in “11.11” (steamed “ones” stuffed bun) representing the middle dot. four the representing sticks) (deep-fried dough Youtiao four eat often singles Day, Singles’ on breakfast For “Bachelors’ Day,” but isnow widely celebrated by both genders. name, the hence men, young by celebrated only initially was holiday The inthe popularized been largely internet era has and isnow observed inseveral regions outside China aswell. Day Singles’ society. into tradition These college students have since graduated, and carried the university 1993. in University Nanjing from originated Day Bachelors’ or Day Singles’ Tmall and Taobao at US$5.8billion in 2013and US$9.3billion in 2014. meet new friends or try their fortunes. It has become the largest online shopping day in the world, with sales in Alibaba’s sites, ‘1’. number the forconnection and chosen betweenthe singles is day, this On organize singles young and parties Karaoketo date The single. are who people Chinese celebration young popular for a is (11/11) 11th November FestivalDay on Singles’ Single’s DayFestival–11thNovember2015 – 3rdSeptember2015 China V-Day Parade Nearby countries such as Russia, Mongolia and South Korea will attend will Korea South and Mongolia Russia, as such countries Nearby ICBM, DF-41 type 99MainBattle fighters, Tank. jet J-15 and J-20 including parade the on shown China’s in return. China announced that there will be a lot of new weapons China joined the 2015Moscow Victory Day Parade, and Russia will join the Communist Party ofChina and Paramount leader in November 2012. of Secretary General to succeeded Jinping Xi after parade first the is This part. There are separate 1st). parades in Beijing and Guangzhou, but Beijing willbe themajor (October Day National on parade usual the of instead This year China’s Victory Day Parade willbe held on September 3rd, 2015, CSbuzz CS Mobility Monthly Newsletter-China Monthly CS Mobility World War II. China which was first opened during Government located in Shanghai, TemporaryROK the for the site Former of Ceremony Re-opening the by followed parade of the attend will President Geun-hye Park The Korea, Of Republic parade. the CONSIDER IT SETTLED IT CONSIDER

ISE0017I2015.10-12 Diving in the Philippines - By Petra Zienteck (Part 1)

Living in China has one big benefit for us divers – the greatest dive sites are only a few hours flight away! During our time in Beijing we travelled to the Philippines for great dives sites – which we continued when we came to live in Shenzhen, which makes the travel even easier. As it’s only a 2.5 hour flight from Hong Kong to Cebu, my husband and I began the joyful habit of weekend dives “just around the corner”! We get to discover dive sites in the Philippines and to explore the little islands, enjoying the beauty above and below the water and feeling welcomed by the friendliest, warmhearted people. This made us want to come back over and over again. In 2006 we made our first trip to the Philippines, and ended up in Puerto Galera, a German dive resort with limitless diving throughout the week, exploring the underwater wrecks, coral gardens and walls. We also took day trips to the mountains and glistering waterfalls which had us falling in love with this country. In 2007 we visited Boracay. Then it was a beautiful, little-known island with breathtaking beaches. Nowadays it has become more crowded, but the dive sites are awesome. We did the Advanced Open Water training there, including current dives, orientation dives, night dives and wreck dives. The most exciting dive was the one at Yapak Reef: a blue water dive into crystal clear, deep blue water down to 40 meters. We encountered a whole new world down there: Out of the blue, suddenly a beautiful coral garden on the edge of a huge wall spread out in front of us, the wall underneath us falling down hundreds of meters into the deep ocean. From that moment, I was captured by the fascinating underwater world that no one would expect from just watching the waves above.

When we moved to Shenzhen years later, we found fellow addicts within my husband’s work group and started the project “Weekend Divers” in 2012. We would take the 1.30 a.m. flight from Hong Kong to Cebu and arrive in the early morning hours, taking a taxi/van and boat to the dive site, catching as much sleep as possible during the journey and start our dive after a good breakfast at the resort. This became our dive weekend routine for at least four weekends last year. The mandatory day of rest before the return flight allowed us to explore the world above the sea, each time discovering beautiful places and relaxed routine of the day. Our first dive-weekend took us to a little island called Malapasqua: Beautiful white beaches, turquoise waters, the resort right on the beach, and only a few other people with us. The real treasure of the island lay underneath: With an early morning dive (meeting at 4am!) we were able to dive with the famous thresher sharks of that area. They were returning from their early morning hunt from the depths of the sea to the shallower waters of the cleaning station. We watched as the smaller fish cleaned the noble hunters. We were in awe when the smoothly moving hunters circled us, elegantly waving their amazing long dorsal fins.

More about our dive weekends next time…

**Before making any travel arrangements, it is advisable to check with your Embassy for Travel Advisories.

CONSIDER IT SETTLED Cultural pieces This first part in our look at Cantonese opera is an excerpt from the volunteering association, Shenzhen Asian Culture Society’s publication, co-written by Albert So, Founder, Fong Yuen Academy of Chinese Classics & Derek Walters, Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society; Author and Composer. If you would like a soft copy of the full article, please email Caroline at caroline.rugaba@cs-,mobility.com Cantonese Opera The particular Chinese form of performance involving music and acting, known as ‘ju’ is commonly translated as ‘Chinese opera.’ The Chinese expression ‘Pear Garden’ refers to the whole concept of Chinese opera and the various professions and skills involved in it.

Chinese opera has several distinctive types, usually depending on the region from where they originate. Perhaps the best known type is Beijing Opera (or Jingju in short), although this is still officially referred to as Peking Opera, Peking being the earlier Romaniza- tion for Beijing.

Many other styles of Chinese Opera have been nationally recognized as examples of an ‘intangible cultural heritage’. One such is Zaju (‘mixed’ opera’) from Northern China, a form popular during the Yuan Dynasty (ca. 1280 AD) but recorded centuries earlier. Another style is Kunqu 崑 曲 (Songs from the Kun mountain) from Kunshan close to the Suzhou region and popular during the Ming Dynasty (ca. 1400). It is one of the oldest types of Chinese opera still performed today. Huju, 滬 劇 from the Shanghai region (Hu be- ing an alternative name for Shanghai) flourished during the Qing dynasty (ca. 1750). Then there is of course Cantonese Opera, which since 2009 has been additionally recognized as ‘an intangible heritage of culture and humanity’ by the United Nations.

Yueju [ 粤 劇 ] Cantonese opera, is popular not only in the southern regions of China, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Macau, but also further afield in south-eastern Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. Today, in cities through- out the world which have a significant Cantonese population, for example Vancouver B.C., Toronto, San Francisco, and Lon- don, there is a growing interest in Cantonese opera.

Contrary to a popular assumption that Cantonese opera is merely a succession of songs, the reality is that the art form encompasses literature, music, acting, singing, drama, cos- tume, martial arts, and acrobatics. Of course, there are occa- sional ‘concert performances’ which consist only of the musi- cal content, but essentially, the nature of Cantonese opera is the relation of historical tales through various kinds of stage performance while at the same time expounding the philoso- phy, traditions and culture of ancient China. In Hong Kong, the narratives of Cantonese operas are set in historical times, such as the Song or Ming Dynasties. In Guangzhou there has been a trend towards portraying modern events in contemporary settings - virtually stage dramas which are sung instead of being spoken – but these have not proved to be popular in Hong Kong.

There are generally two types of plays of Cantonese opera, namely Mun (Putonghua Wen) and Mo (Wu) [. Here, “Mun” refers to actors playing in an intellectual, polite or cultured manner while “Mo” refers to those playing in a martial way, holding swords, riding on horses and fighting against enemies. Even the costumes of “Mun” and “Mo” plays are different, the latter one more color- ful and heavier.

Part 2 of this article will look at Early Chinese Lyric Poetry.

CONSIDER IT SETTLED What I have noticed in China is the importance of red envelopes, which are money wrapped in red paper and given to kids from their parents, grandparents and others as New Year gifts or special occasions like at weddings. They are called hongbao in Mandarin. Sometimes red envelopes can be given to employees in a company. They are very important and well-observed during Chinese New Year. If you spend enough time in China, you will notice that Chinese people love the color red, and see red as the symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. Sending red envelopes is a way of sending good wishes and luck. Ideally, you have to prepare the red envelopes in advance, before the New Year, then it is generally traditional to give them from the elders to the youngers, right after New Year. If you receive one, it is impolite to open it in front of the giver. It is best to thank the person and keep it safely for later. WRITER’S BLOCK Traditionally speaking, if you have started earning money, it is time to start your experience of giving red envelopes. This is a way to share your blessings and generally the amount of money given would depend on your income. However, there is a custom in China that if you are not married, you should not send red envelopes to others. Your close relatives (like your parents and your grandparents) would keep giving you red packets and even though you are married, which is a symbolism of their love and blessings to you. The amount of the red envelope can vary from 400 to 2000RMB to your elders and from 50 to 200RMB to the younger ones, or colleagues and about 100 to 1000RMB to employees (given on the last working day before Chinese New Year). If you have to give to others’ children, then prepare some small red envelopes with 10 or 20 RMB, those could be given during Chinese New Year when you meet them. This would make many happy faces.

*The opinions expressed in the Writer’s Block are not necessarily those of CS Mobility. Tangyuan Tangyuan is a Chinese food made from glutinous rice flour mixed Dongzhi Festival with a small amount of water to form balls which is then cooked and served in boiling water. Tangyuan can be either small or large, and filled or unfilled. They are traditionally eaten during the Lan- tern Festival, but also served as a dessert on Chinese wedding day, Winter Solstice Festival/Dongzhi Festival, and any occasions such as family re-union, because of a homophone for union. This type of glutinous rice flour dumpling is eaten in both north- ern and southern China, but the name “Tangyuan” is more com- mon in the south while the older name “yuanxiao” is still used in the north. During the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the name was officially settled as yuanxiao (derived from the Yuanxiao Fes- tival). This name literally means “first evening”, being the first full moon after Chinese New Year. The Dongzhi Festival is one of the most important festivals In southern China, however, they are called tangyuan or tangtuan. celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Legend has it that during Yuan Shikai’s rule from 1912 to 1916, he Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) around November - De- disliked the name yuanxiao because it sounded identical to “re- cember. This year, the festival falls on November 26th. THE FOODIE move Yuan”, and so he gave orders to change the name to tangyu- The origins of this festival can be traced back to the yin and an, which literally means “round balls in soup”. Tangtuan similarly yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. Af- means “round dumplings in soup”. In the two major Chinese dia- ter this, there will be increased positive energy flowing in. lects of far southern China; Hakka and Cantonese, “tangyuan” is Old traditions also require people with the same surname or pronounced as tong rhen and tong jyun respectively. from the same clan to gather at their ancestral temples to The fillings differ regionally: in the south, sweet fillings such as worship on this day. There is always a grand reunion dinner sugar, sesame, osmanthus flowers, sweet bean paste and sweet- following the sacrificial ceremony. Traditionally, the Dong- ened tangerine peel are used, while in the north, salty fillings are zhi Festival is a family time. One activity during these family preferred, including minced meat. It is also often served with a get-togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and mildly alcoholic unfiltered rice wine containing whole grains of in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating glutinous rice (and often also Sweet Osmanthus flowers), called of tangyuan or balls of glutinous rice, which symbolize re- jiuniang. union. For many Chinese families in mainland China as well as overseas, One tradition is said to have originated in the Han Dynasty: tangyuan is usually eaten together with family. The round shape On one cold winter day, Zhang Zhongjing saw the poor suf- of the balls and the bowls fering from chilblains on their ears. Feeling sympathetic, he where they are served, sym- ordered his apprentices to make dumplings with lamb and bolise togetherness. other ingredients, and distributed them among the poor to keep them warm. Since the dumplings were shaped like ears, Zhang named the dish ‘the dumpling soup that expels the cold’. From that time on, in Northern China it has been a tradition to eat dumplings on the day of Dongzhi.

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