Dear Language Enthusiast,
Greetings from Transparent Language! Here in New Hampshire the flowers are blooming and
spring seems to be upon us. As warm weather approaches, traveling has been on our minds,
and so we have chosen travel tips as the topic for this month's newsletter. Included below are
hints about keeping cool during the hot Chinese summer, followed by a Chinese recipe.
You will also find tips for using ChineseNow! and Power Chinese.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
In English:
"Don't go near the water" may be a helpful tip in other places, but not if
you're summering in China. As temperatures reach the 90s with rising humidity and dust in
the major cities, be sure to plan a few blissfully cool activities around water.
For example, even the largest Chinese cities have restful parks and gardens. In Beijing,
take your cue from generations of Chinese emperors who summered at Yiheyuan, the Garden of
Good Health and Harmony. Built around a lake, the gardens are cool and relaxing, if
sometimes crowded.
Hong Kong also has many water-based activities, the most famous being the annual Dragon
Boat Festival held July 3-4 this year. A highlight of this annual summer festival is
a river race, as teams furiously ply the waters in 40- foot decorated boats. After the
races, step lively and board one of Aberdeen's
boat-restaurants for a refreshing meal.
As the summer sun heats up, you'll also see the wisdom of the proverb, "In heaven
there is paradise; down on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou." The capital of
Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is built around the Grand Canal and fabled West Lake, where
you'll enjoy a shoreline abundant with flowers. You may find yourself in a crowd, since
Hangzhou is China's most popular destination for its own citizens.
The Venice of China, Suzhou is renowned for its network of canals and bridges. It's water,
water, everywhere, as the Grand Canal, Yangtze River and Lake Taihu meet to cover
60% of the area. Visitors since Marco Polo have written of Suzhou's beauty, and tourists
who travel its waters will also discover an onramp to China's fabled Silk Road, with
teeming silk markets and bargains galore.
P.S. All this water may make you thirsty, so be sure to carry plenty of bottled water.
Avoid drinking tap water unless it has been boiled.
Sources:
Lonely Planet Guidebooks
Hong Kong Tourist Association
Xindeco Business Information Company
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fish and seafood play an important role in Chinese cuisine. To get in the mood for your
travels on water, try this recipe for Mandarin Fish.
1 ounce Chinese dried black mushrooms
1 ounce canned bamboo shoots, shredded finely
3 slices of fresh ginger, shredded
1 to 1 1/2 pounds white fish, cleaned and left whole (scrod, halibut, small cod)
1 tsp salt
3 Tbls rice wine or sherry
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water
Soak mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Remove the stems and shred the caps.
Make 3-4 slashes on each side of the fish. This will help it cook faster and allow the
flavors to be absorbed. Rub fish with salt on both sides. Set on a heatproof platter.
Combine the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar and pour over the fish. Scatter the bamboo
shoots, mushrooms and ginger over and around the fish.
Fill a steamer with about two inches of hot water. Bring the water to a simmer, then put
the plate of fish into the steamer. Cover tightly and gently steam fish until cooked. This
will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. You can also steam the fish in a wok, by
putting a rack into it and placing the plate of fish on the rack.
Once the fish is cooked, remove the plate from the steamer and pour the liquid into a
small pan. Bring to a simmer, then add the cornstarch mixture. When the sauce has
thickened, pour it over the fish and serve at once.
Adapted from:
The Taste of China by Ken Hom.
Tips for ChineseNow!
With Word Dictation, you can practice listening and spelling at the same time! Choose
Activities / Listen and Speak and select Word Dictation to start the exercise.
The Crosswords game is another great way to improve your spelling skills! Every letter
must be right to win at this game. To open Crosswords, choose Activites / Games and
select Crosswords.
Tips for Power Chinese
The dialogs in Power Chinese are a fun way to hear your new language spoken at a natural
pace. Listen to them and look at the word meanings to pick up some key
words, or say the lines out loud to practice your pronunciation. Also, don't forget to
relax and enjoy some of the humorous conversations!
For an overview of the four tones used in Chinese pronunciation, click the Reference
button, then click The Four Tones. This reference can be handy!
