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New advert for the Beijing Olympics.

Thoughts on Washington Post article about Telephone Interpretation

chinaONEcall was recently featured in the Washington Post. On the whole a very good article. A small part of it was slightly misleading and I have pointed this out in the comments section of the piece.

Good article. I think this would be very helpful for people planning to visit China. However the reference to a 22 hour gap and translations not occurring in real time is a little misleading. Interpretation infact happens instantaneously assuming the party with which the caller wishes to communicate is available. Doing additional research including calling back “several times” and providing extra information is not, at least in my eyes, a negative. That the interpreter was not able to reach the theatre at the time the call was placed is unfortunate but could have been for any number of reasons (time zone differences, opening hours etc). Apologies if this seems like nitpicking but I think its a fairly important point and slightly detracts from an otherwise great article.

Greg Sinclair, Operations Director, China One Call Ltd.

NBTA Convention 2008 Los Angeles

ChinaOneCall will be attending the NBTA (National Business Travel Association) convention in Los Angeles from Sunday 27th - Wednesday 30th July 2008.

Come and talk to us at Booth 2923.

Click here for Interactive Floor Plan. (Requires Java)

Chinese Dinner Table Culture

An old Chinese saying goes: "People regard food as their prime want." The greeting words of Chinese people are so distinctive and well-known around the world: “have you eaten?” People often greet their friends or acquaintances in this way in China. Though this custom has changed among young people and is most prevalent in rural areas, it shows how Chinese people attached great importance to their food.

In China delicious food is often linked with festivals and celebrations and has a great deal of symbolism. For instance, Jiao zi (dumpling with meat and vegetable stuffing) eaten during the Spring Festival is said to bring wealth to people, because the shape of Jiaozi resembles the ancient Chinese currency which is called “jin yuan bao” in Chinese.

Nian gao, a kind of rice cake eaten during the Spring Festival connotes a better life, for the Chinese pronunciation” nian gao “is the same with another phrase which means getting higher and higher in Chinese.(everything is getting better every year.)

Moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival have become an indispensable part of the life of Chinese people. The moon cake is like a full moon. In Chinese, a full moon stands for reunion. So the Mid-Autumn Festival is usually for a family reunion in China.

“Tang Yuan”, otherwise known as rice dumpling also symbolizes family reunion, for the Chinese “Yuan” means reunion. Tang Yuan are usually eaten during the Spring Festival when family members gather for a reunion.

Fish is another auspicious totem for Chinese people. In Chinese, the pronunciation of fish “Yu” is the same as another word which means more than enough. That is why a fish is an indispensable dish for the Spring Festival. People hope that they always have more than enough every year.

China is a vast land with a large number of minorities. The culture connected with food varies from region to region, and from minority to minority as well. You are sure to find more symbolism on the Chinese dinner tables the longer you spend travelling in China.

Douhua Mixian - Tofu pudding and rice-noodles with sauce

(Chinese:豆花米线; Pinyin: dòu huā mǐ xiàn)

Kunming is located in South-west China, where rice is the staple food, so Kunming folk love to eat foods made of rice. As a result, Mixian (rice noodles) have been popular in Kunming for centuries.

If you go to Kunming, you shouldn’t miss tasting Douhua Mixian. Created by a military attaché’s wife hundreds years ago, Douhua Mixian has become a famous and featured snack of this city. The taste of Douhua Mixian is similar to the fantastic climate of this Spring City —- a little spicy, a little sweet and a little sour with a delicious smell.

The ingredients:

Mixian (rice noodles), tofu pudding, bean jam, meat paste, bean sprout, leek, green onion, local dry sauerkraut, sesame oil, chili oil and sweet soy sauce.

Douhua Mixian can be found all over Kunming but listed below are 3 authentic restaurants serving this popular dish.

凤翥小吃 (fèng zhú xiǎo chī)

Fengzhu Road, Kunming.

得胜桥豆花米线 (dé shèng qiáo dòu huā mǐ xiàn)

92#, Nanxiang St, Kunming.

美琼豆花米线店 (měi qióng dòu huā mǐ xiàn diàn)

285#, Tuodong Road, Kunming.

Shadow Show

Chinese Pinyin: Pi Ying, literally translation: Leather Silhouette

You may have heard of the Chinese traditional handcraft of paper-cutting and you may have even watched Chinese local operas. What I am going to talk about is an ancient dramatic art form that combines these two significant Chinese elements. This is known as Chinese Shadow Show.

Shadow Show, also called “Shadow Play,” has a history of more than 1,000 years. It uses light to cast the shadow of leather-cut figures (Piying) on a white curtain. Its repertoire and tunes are interrelated with local operas. The artisan operates the Piying while singing. Under the influence of different regions, many styles of Shadow Show have appeared, mostly in northwest of China.

   The most popular material of such leather puppets is donkey skin. The images painted on the Piying are usually figures coming from historical plays or myths. Despite its differences in style from diverse areas in China, Piying has the following characteristics in common: highly precise carving, simple shapes and exaggerated decorative patterns. These together form an artistic charm.

It is not difficult to find these shadow puppets to bring home from China as souvenirs. Many shops have Piying on sale which have already been framed. However it is also possible to find the original Piying and move them around into your chosen position for framing.