David's Avatar

[Batmaniac]

 

Yup, superstition. There was probably some bad connotation associated with those characters in your wife's past.

 

Regarding superstition, no problem if you are a believer, but if not then, ekk... If your wife or in-laws are of that extreme persuasion, don't be surprised to be inconvenienced with rituals and placement of stuff before you move into your new house or car or job or... Sometimes it works out, or sometimes (like in my case)... nevermind, just give in, you'll live longer and happier. They are just doing it for your well being! ;-)

 

To all gringos and yanks on CFL, we should watch our lips at around CNY time. Of course, most of you already know that right?

 

I was going to buy a set of kitchen knives in one of those blocky style holders to set on the counter today . . . oooh boy. Knives go in the drawer! It's unlucky to have them out on the counter apparently.

[Sam and Fen]

 

Yup, superstition. There was probably some bad connotation associated with those characters in your wife's past.

 

Regarding superstition, no problem if you are a believer, but if not then, ekk... If your wife or in-laws are of that extreme persuasion, don't be surprised to be inconvenienced with rituals and placement of stuff before you move into your new house or car or job or... Sometimes it works out, or sometimes (like in my case)... nevermind, just give in, you'll live longer and happier. They are just doing it for your well being! ;-)

 

To all gringos and yanks on CFL, we should watch our lips at around CNY time. Of course, most of you already know that right?

 

I was going to buy a set of kitchen knives in one of those blocky style holders to set on the counter today . . . oooh boy. Knives go in the drawer! It's unlucky to have them out on the counter apparently.

 

Fen is comming on Feb 3 rd...Its a lucky day as told by the fortune teller.

We were thinking of her comming earlier and she said her mother will call the fortune teller to find out a lucky day.

 

Tounge in Cheek I asked her why she got divorced, did they forget to find a lucky day?

 

She did not find it amusing

[david_dawei]

My avatar shows the characters for Yin and Yang in three character sets:

1. Seal Script ¨C Characters underwent a standardization during the Han Dynasty

2. Traditional ¨C shown below the seal script in avatar

3. Simplified ¨C In the small brackets in avatar

 

Yin and Yang show up in the earliest writing of the oracle bones, but never together. Later their complementary aspects were merged to represent nature¡¯s interdependent duality of life (life and dark, cold and hot, etc).

 

Due to limitations on number of posted graphics, I will show Yin here and Yang in next post:

 

 

Traditional to Simplified:

 

Yin - êŽ Òõ

 

Shady side of a hill ; Simplified character used a moon on the right

 

Older meaning may have been darkness, like clouds bring about by clouds (not cloud character)

 

 

Oracle Bones:

Cannot locate one

 

Bronze Character:

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Bronze/B10000/b19600/b19690.gif

 

Various Seal Script Characters:

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L10000/l12400/L12430.gif

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L10000/l12400/L12431.gif

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L30000/l33700/L33791.gif

[david_dawei]

Traditional to Simplified:

Yang - ê– Ñô

 

Sunny side of a hill; Simplified character used sun on the right

 

Older meaning may have been a sundial casting shadows to the ground

 

 

Oracle Bones:

 

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Oracle/J20000/j29400/j29476.gif

 

Bronze Character:

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Bronze/B10000/b19600/b19693.gif

 

Various Seal Script Character:

 

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L00000/l08900/L08981.gif

 

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L00000/l08900/L08992.gif

 

http://www.chineseetymology.org/CharacterImages/Lst/L30000/l32400/L32485.gif

[david_dawei]

I¡¯d guess it¡¯s probably the script rather than the specific characters that causes her reaction. Specifically, the top two look like characters from about 200 BC¡­

Yes, I think that the seal script, which used alot of curving lines, could make many characters look more similar and she is probably seeing another character 'jump out at her'. Later alot of the curved lines are made more distinct to better differentiate characters.

 

The seal characters were standardized around 200 BC and in use till around 200 AD.

 

Seal Characters - ZhuanTiZi ×­ów×Ö

 

Chin-Han ÇØh Dynasty Characters - 221 BC - 200 AD

 

Because character standardization took place, some new forms took shape as well. I mentioned this in the thread which talk of the Yuan Dynasty and whether the money term "yuan" comes from that dynasty.

[mmpv]

 

Yup, superstition. There was probably some bad connotation associated with those characters in your wife's past.

 

Regarding superstition, no problem if you are a believer, but if not then, ekk... If your wife or in-laws are of that extreme persuasion, don't be surprised to be inconvenienced with rituals and placement of stuff before you move into your new house or car or job or... Sometimes it works out, or sometimes (like in my case)... nevermind, just give in, you'll live longer and happier. They are just doing it for your well being! ;-)

 

To all gringos and yanks on CFL, we should watch our lips at around CNY time. Of course, most of you already know that right?

 

I was going to buy a set of kitchen knives in one of those blocky style holders to set on the counter today . . . oooh boy. Knives go in the drawer! It's unlucky to have them out on the counter apparently.

 

Fen is comming on Feb 3 rd...Its a lucky day as told by the fortune teller.

We were thinking of her comming earlier and she said her mother will call the fortune teller to find out a lucky day.

 

Tounge in Cheek I asked her why she got divorced, did they forget to find a lucky day?

 

She did not find it amusing

 

I believe the correct term is "auspicious" and luckily it works in her favor because we are 24 hrs. behind. She will be leaving and arriving the same day. Imagine what happens if it's the other way around.

 

If you are going to be snide with her, you have a couple of days starting on Valentines this year. It's not "auspicious" to handle brooms, mops, or cutlery in a violent manner on those days.

YMMV.

[david_dawei]

I could write a lot more but I'll provide some decent online links:

 

http://www.iep.utm.edu/yinyang/

 

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHPHIL/YINYANG.HTM

[Minister]

I remember my wife's reaction when we opened the second clock that was given to us on our wedding day.

 

I cringed when I saw it because, not only was in "unlucky" and insulting, it was also the second clock that we received. I was ready for a tantrum or anything...

 

She sighed and said, "Well. I guess that's one for each of us."

 

Thankfully we did not receive any knives.

[Sam and Fen]

 

Yup, superstition. There was probably some bad connotation associated with those characters in your wife's past.

 

Regarding superstition, no problem if you are a believer, but if not then, ekk... If your wife or in-laws are of that extreme persuasion, don't be surprised to be inconvenienced with rituals and placement of stuff before you move into your new house or car or job or... Sometimes it works out, or sometimes (like in my case)... nevermind, just give in, you'll live longer and happier. They are just doing it for your well being! ;-)

 

To all gringos and yanks on CFL, we should watch our lips at around CNY time. Of course, most of you already know that right?

 

I was going to buy a set of kitchen knives in one of those blocky style holders to set on the counter today . . . oooh boy. Knives go in the drawer! It's unlucky to have them out on the counter apparently.

 

Fen is comming on Feb 3 rd...Its a lucky day as told by the fortune teller.

We were thinking of her comming earlier and she said her mother will call the fortune teller to find out a lucky day.

 

Tounge in Cheek I asked her why she got divorced, did they forget to find a lucky day?

 

She did not find it amusing

 

I believe the correct term is "auspicious" and luckily it works in her favor because we are 24 hrs. behind. She will be leaving and arriving the same day. Imagine what happens if it's the other way around.

 

If you are going to be snide with her, you have a couple of days starting on Valentines this year. It's not "auspicious" to handle brooms, mops, or cutlery in a violent manner on those days.

YMMV.

 

I was just using her language "Lucky day"

 

During CNY if I remember correctly you do not use a broom,mop at all else you might "sweep" the luck away.

[Sam and Fen]

I remember my wife's reaction when we opened the second clock that was given to us on our wedding day.

 

I cringed when I saw it because, not only was in "unlucky" and insulting, it was also the second clock that we received. I was ready for a tantrum or anything...

 

She sighed and said, "Well. I guess that's one for each of us."

 

Thankfully we did not receive any knives.

 

 

Last year for CNY one of the things I sent her was a wrist watch.

I mailed it and then remembered about the clocks.

I was freaking out but she told me it does not apply to wrist watches.

 

I dont know if she said that to let me off the hook.

[david_dawei]

I remember my wife's reaction when we opened the second clock that was given to us on our wedding day.

 

I cringed when I saw it because, not only was in "unlucky" and insulting, it was also the second clock that we received. I was ready for a tantrum or anything...

 

She sighed and said, "Well. I guess that's one for each of us."

 

Thankfully we did not receive any knives.

 

 

Last year for CNY one of the things I sent her was a wrist watch.

I mailed it and then remembered about the clocks.

I was freaking out but she told me it does not apply to wrist watches.

 

I dont know if she said that to let me off the hook.

watches are good to give.

[fineart]

Serious (I mean for real, anyway) question here:

 

My wife is about to divorce me, just kidding of course, but she does make me flip the page whenever David's Avatar shows up

 

 

I barely have enough time to read his post, before I have to hit 'Page down', or scroll past it.

 

What's the deal? She says something about "death people", but so far, hasn't elaborated.

Ehrrrrrrrrrrr, let's give some example about Yin and Yang:

 

Yin---wife, Yang---husband;

Yin---female, Yang---male;

Yin---hole, Yang---hill;

Yin---damp, Yang---dry;

Yin---insidious, Yang---magnanimous

[a2784]

This is what my wife said it means just now.

 

It is written: yin and yang. The ancient Chinese like this word, Yin is a woman, Yang is a man, yes overcast days, Yang is a way. Yin is inside the park is outside the

 

My wife told me they use this still today in her medical practice.

 

We also used Chinese medicine yin and yang to see the doctor, called the yin and yang theory. There are Traditional Chinese Characters.

My wife said this also.....so in a span of 1 minute she told me the chinese characters meant:

1. Heaven and Hell

2. Woman and Man

3. Yin and Yang

4. It really meant nothing together ... dont think about it

5. Dont you know what Yin and Yang means

6. It means Death ... dont talk about it

 

And she wonders why my Chinese still sucks after 3 years of living in China.

[Randy W]

This is what my wife said it means just now.

 

It is written: yin and yang. The ancient Chinese like this word, Yin is a woman, Yang is a man, yes overcast days, Yang is a way. Yin is inside the park is outside the

 

My wife told me they use this still today in her medical practice.

 

We also used Chinese medicine yin and yang to see the doctor, called the yin and yang theory. There are Traditional Chinese Characters.

My wife said this also.....so in a span of 1 minute she told me the chinese characters meant:

1. Heaven and Hell

2. Woman and Man

3. Yin and Yang

4. It really meant nothing together ... dont think about it

5. Dont you know what Yin and Yang means

6. It means Death ... dont talk about it

 

And she wonders why my Chinese still sucks after 3 years of living in China.

 

 

# 6 just seems to dominate with my wife - she has no other superstitions or taboos that I'm aware of http://www.chinafamilyvisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/iiam.gif

[Guest Pommey]

I remember my wife's reaction when we opened the second clock that was given to us on our wedding day.

 

I cringed when I saw it because, not only was in "unlucky" and insulting, it was also the second clock that we received. I was ready for a tantrum or anything...

 

She sighed and said, "Well. I guess that's one for each of us."

 

Thankfully we did not receive any knives.

 

 

well at least not any umbellas as gifts ?