I'm Prone to Calling Pinyin "Bopomofo"

-


I was introduced to more of Pinyin in college. It was a Chinese language electorate class for at least one semester. I wished that the course required two consecutive foreign language classes to build the basics even more. The teacher taught us Pinyin with the Bopomofo sequence. Until now, I still prefer to use the Bopomofo sequence because it's more rhythmic and easier to memorize. I don't like the new method which uses the 23 initials-24 finals method (read here). Because of that, I still call Pinyin "Bopomofo" in almost every conversation, even with Chinese language teachers!



One of the things I would say is, "We have a new kind of Bopomofo." The older ones said, "Did the Zhuyin table change?" My answer is. "No, I'm talking about Pinyin." A Chinese language teacher might say, "We don't use Bopomofo. We use Pinyin now. Say Pinyin, not Bopomofo." Yet, I can't resist calling it Bopomofo because Pinyin is basically transliterated Bopomofo. You simply assign a Latin equivalent to each and every symbol of the Zhuyin table to make it more accessible to non-Chinese speakers. It prepares to teach Chinese as a secondary language especially when Chinese schools, in non-Chinese countries, get assimilated.


I expect to sound funny if I'm going to buy a bilingual 華語書/华语书 (Huáyǔ shū) or a modern Chinese language textbook. Chances are I might say, "Do you have a bilingual Chinese book that's also written with the modern Bopomofo?" The saleslady might say, "No, but we have one with Pinyin and English." I might say, "That's exactly what I'm looking for." Since I'm so prone to calling Pinyin "Bopomofo", I can imagine myself in that awkward situation. 

What I'd say is that I guess some things never change. I'm still prone to wanting to have traditional Chinese characters and calling Pinyin "Bopomofo". 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino First Isn't Glocalization Friendly

-
Image
Philippine Information Agency Buwan Ng Wika or Buwan ng Kasaysayan may be over. With September, one can always think of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., and his use of the Filipino First Policy to nearly, its fullest. The late Carlos P. Garcia, was the enabler . People tend to argue how "great" and how "good" the Filipino First Policy is. Garca was the first to be buried at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani . It's effortless to say that Filipino First has no place in the Rising Asian Century (read here ). After writing that piece back in 2024, I'm going to write about glocalization . It's a concept that was introduced to me back in college, but I've revisited the term for this article. Investopedia gives this basic definition of what glocalization is: What Is Glocalization? Glocalization merges globalization and localization, allowing products and services to be tailored to local markets while maintaining a global presence . This strategy adapts global of...
Read more

Talking Economics with an Overeating Glutton

-
Image
Two years ago, I wrote an entry about why discussing economics with an overspender is frustrating . Now, I was looking at certain fat people who say really dumb things about economics. Just recently, I was looking at a certain fat idiot (fortunately, he only has 1K+ followers) who posted on Facebook that not only will the parliamentary system cause the Philippines to become a dictatorship, but he also says that changing economic provisions will cause the Philippines to collapse and the country to fall into the hands of foreigners. I won't name the person out to avoid getting personal. However, the person is apparently very fat and he blames capitalism day in and day out. The person even says that businessmen do nothing and it's the employers that do everything. Has that fat slob ever heard that businesses are run by bosses and that if the bosses do screw up, they're the ones who are the most answerable? The employees are the cogs and the boss runs the cogs. I was looking at...
Read more

The Problem with the Philippine Education System is That It Inadvertently Tends to Make One Stroke One's Ego

-
Image
What happens is that the traditional Philippine education system focuses too much on  monuments of fame rather  than learning milestones . It reminds me of the incident where Rep. Raoul Abellar Manuel stressed out he was a cum laude, and that he's not stupid. I feel this is a microcosm of a much bigger problem that happens with the education system. I'm not going to deny that going to the University of the Philippines and graduating summa cum laude isn't an easy feat. However, I wrote an article on what's the use of being a summa cum laude when one opposes badly needed reforms . It's because whether we want to admit it or not, schools focus too much on the ability to memorize without also focusing on the ability to understand . Memory is also the least reliable tool.  It would be time to continuously attack the problems of the education system. I felt shamed back then because students were often told, "Your grades will determine your future!" In college, I...
Read more

Understanding NAVPU Better

-
Image
As an investor, I tend to be rather impulsive. So, I decided to do more studying about the NAVPU. NAVPU means Net Asset Value Per Unit . So, how do we get the NAVPU? My first understanding of NAVPU is the amount per unit to make up one unit. For example, if the NAVPU is at least PHP 100.00 per unit then spending PHP 1,000.00 will give me 10 units of that certain Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF). However, how do we fully understand the NAVPU? As a Metrobank client, I decided to look into Metrobank to further understand what NAVPU means than just the amount of units I can get depending on the price per unit. Here's what Metrobank says about how to understand NAVPU when investing: Understanding the Net Asset Value per Unit Net Asset Value per Unit, or NAVPU, on the other hand, is the underlying value of each unit. NAVPU is important because it allows you to compare how different schemes are trading, even though they may have very different prices. A large difference between price and...
Read more

Pinoy Pride Economics' Filipino vs. Foreigner False Dichotomy

-
Image
Two years ago, I wrote about the socio-economic cost of Pinoy Pride Economics . It might be better to call it Pinoy Fried Economics because such mentalities have caused the Philippines to fail. Pinoy Pride Economics  has  fried  up any potential for the Philippines to improve. As it's August, the month is commonly called Buwan Ng Wika (month of the language), the celebrations tend to focus more on the celebration of Filipino Culture instead of Tagalog. I remember Buwan Ng Wika programs tend to showcase how cultural exchange evolved the Filipino Culture--such as showing the Chinese traders and Americans in their interaction with Filipinos. On this very first day of August, I'll discuss the problem of the Filipino vs. Foreigner dichotomy. Last I re-studied Filipino History, I never saw it as once free from foreign influence. The Chinese traded with the Philippines--way before the Chinese Communist of China (CCP) caused trouble because of their country's terrible leadership ...
Read more

Heeding Gramps Warren Buffett's Advice as Stock Markets Worldwide Face a Fluctuation This Late 2023

-
Image
I was checking on GInvest and I'm not surprised that the ATRAM stock investments have gone down. I checked my current portfolio and things went down. I was tempted to panic-sell until I recalled Grandpa Warren Edward Buffet's advice. It's sad that business schools, based on my experience, never taught students how to invest in stocks properly, not even the business schools. It's a good thing that Buffett himself speaks in such a way that I can understand it. I may not be the Oracle of Cebu City (nor do I intend to). I decided to Google Warren Buffett again for advice. I might need to buy a book by Buffett though before I can continue this project.  The article (from Yahoo! Finance ) I found was written last October 23, 2010. Here's some advice that I should heed instead of social media gossip: But numbers are only part of the equation; Buffett also emphasizes the human element in investing. As he stated in his interview, " Some people should not own stocks at a...
Read more

The Filipino First Policy Caused the Philippines to Succeed!

-
Image
High School Philippine History Movement Yes, you read it right! I found a hidden gem that I should've read years ago! It's the book Nationalist Economics by the late Alejandro Lichauco, who is part of the magnificent IBON Foundation. It's a shame I refused to read it. I should've read Lichauco's book instead of the late Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First . What a shame that I didn't look into the details that LKY was a dictator, that Flor Contemplacion was indeed innocent, and that Singapore is a state comparable to Nazi Germany. As I bought my copy of Nationalist Economics from the Trust Me Bro School of Economics--I'm now convinced that the Filipino First Policy caused us to succeed! LKY ruled Singapore for 31 years, meaning it's a frightening thing indeed! Six years is the magic number ot establish a benevolent rule!  Who should we all listen to? Should we listen to foreigners or should we listen to our fellow Filipino? We must think st...
Read more

Filipinos Need MORE Foreign Investments, NOT More Ayuda and Protectionism to Help Solve the Crisis

-
Image
I'm simply amazed at the monkey solutions of some so-called thought leaders like the members of Bayan Muna and IBON Foundation. Reading the arguments of people like Teodoro A. Casino, Neri P. Colmenares, and various members of IBON Foundation (such as Sonny Africa) can give me a headache. I may be no economist but I'd like to share some issues. The arguments I keep getting from IBON Foundation are bordered around one thing--a deadly obsession with ayuda meaning cash handouts (read here ). Such people have been using several scare tactics against foreign direct investments or FDI (read here ) can be very stupid. For example, how can people even mistake foreign investments for foreign debt (read here )? Debt is borrowed money. Investments are when you spend money hoping to get something in return. Foreign investment is when foreigners are allowed to do business in one's country. Foreign debt is when a country borrows money from another country.  The latest article by IBON Fou...
Read more

Helping Others is Good But Not to One's Own Expense

-
Image
I advocate for helping others. I believe in helping others but there were times I overdid it. One time, I gave up so much that I had to be stopped. I was told, "If you gave everything now, how can you help others later?" I would donate some sums here and there, without thinking much. I'm not going to write them all. Some of them left me good while others left a bad taste (and a bad record) for me to endure. Sure, I want to help people but I tend to overlook the consequences. Some of the bad habits I had in the name of helping others are like: Being too generous with buying with credit. Eventually, I lost a lot of money which was never recovered . Some seasoned entrepreneurs may admit their own falls including the credit trap pitfall. Being too willing to give a discount without thinking about how it'd affect profits. Sure, a cheap price can draw people near. However, there are times when the prices of goods and services need to be raised to keep a business running. I ...
Read more

The Philippines will NEVER Get Richer by Blaming Its Richer Asian Neighbors

-
Image
iStock It would be nice to talk about the typical blame game in the Philippines. I could rememeber that, as a child and a teenager, I had this habit of blaming people I dislike that I failed an exam. The reasons are mostly imagined. What I remembered in my later college years was when I met a couple of super irresponsible students. They had this attitude to say something like, "My parents don't care if it'll take me 20 years to finish my bachelor's degree." Some people even say something like, "It's the fault of the rich that we are poor." It was a backfire when I told such people, "Isn't it any wonder why your finances are down? It's because your parents don't even value the money when they don't care if it'll take up to 20 years to finish college!"  Understanding the blame game and why it feels so good Psychology Today presents this on why some people will always blame others . These findings can help understand the st...
Read more