Chinese Language Lesson: Learn More Chinese Measurements for Chinese Math

I haven't posted a Chinese language lesson for some time. As I said, I didn't like Chinese lessons because of the focus on too much memorization (read here). I found this photo on Facebook. One of the biggest problems of Chinese education back in my day was that you had to learn Amoy before learning Mandarin. The process itself is a red tape. Why not learn Mandarin being introduced in the language you're most comfortable with? For example, why not teach Mandarin to Filipinos using their language or in English?

HSK Online

For starters, here are some measurement units for Chinese mathematics. One problem with Chinese mathematics was that we had to learn Chinese first, before learning it. I'm talking about introducing Chinese to people who have zero background. It would be good to introduce these measurements first before teaching them how to solve problems.

What I find strange is that the Chinese word for meter also means... rice? Yes, funny but true. However, using Google translate, one can find a synonym for meter is 仪表 (Yíbiǎo). It turns out that English isn't hte only language where one word can have multiple meanings. Take for example the word bootleg. Bootleg originally meant stolen liquor. Later, bootleg is used to describe unauthorized production. The word train can mean the vehicle or to teach. The word bark can mean a dog's sound or the tree's skin. Chinese words can also have multiple meanings too!

Once again, please practice the modern Bopomofo first. Sure, Bopomofo is a term used to describe Zhuyin. However, Pinyin still makes the same first four sounds. Even Bopomofo is spelled in Pinyin. Learn some Pinyin first to get it done right!

When the Education Cares TOO MUCH About Grades, Schools Produce Idiots Instead of Intellectuals

During the pandemic, I was left in limbo thinking about my poor performance under K+10. It was something to think about that a classmate of mine who was both a summa cum laude and an honor student, ended up posting on his wall, "Students cheat because the education system cares more about grades instead of learning." The class salutatorian of our batch even commented about the good old days. I always had that feeling of insecurity and envy towards people better than me. But as Warren Edward Buffet would say, "Don't hate successful people. Learn from them instead." One of them is currently a teacher and the other is in Canada. I thought about my insecurities especially when I used to believe I was descended from a fine scholar and my family was a family of scholars. I remembered the time I was taking MBA and got conned. I was asked, "Is that what MBA taught you?" I got touchy and ended up admitting, eventually, that I was only taking MBA for the presti...

No Amount of INSULTS Would Repeal the Laws of Business and Economics

It's October 2024 and I had no topic to write about a few days ago. Today, I decided to write about how using personal attacks is a common tactic . The use of Ad Hominems or personal attacks is attacking the person instead of the argument. Such people don't care if they contradict themselves--as long as they can insult because they're losers . One of the things I noticed is how I discuss the laws of economics. However, I can get an answer like, "Muh supply and demand! Da conspiracy of supply and demand!" I purposely misspelled the words to show how the person's lack of knowledge and use of mockery. Such persons can repeatedly hurl insults like saying I'm stupid, room temperature IQ, fake IQ, traitor to my fellow Filipino, etc. The list can go on and it's both amusing and irritating to recall every bit of insult I've had. But as advised, I'm told to learn to ignore insults or laugh at them. An anonymous quote, probably said by Socrates was, ...

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

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 ...

My Experience with Pyramid Scams in College Up to Present

Often, a pyramid is often confused with a Ponzi scheme. Both are illegal schemes but there's the difference. A pyramid scam emphasizes on recruitment and selling of products. A Ponzi scheme guarantees high returns for short periods. Both operate similarly but scam people differently. Both should be shunned and be considered defective baskets. I remembered my college days at the University of San Carlos-Main Campus (USC-Main) when I was still a newbie with money. It sucks really when high school didn't teach us financial literacy and people seemingly need to take commerce to do so. One of the biggest scams that hit even graduate school students was the pyramid scam. Even worse, some of those who got suckered with ongoing financial scams were graduate school students of the School of Business and Economics! The Investor.gov website from the United States of America (USA) would tell us these are the hallmarks of a pyramid scam: These are some of the hallmarks of a pyram...

How I Believe the Public Service Act of 2022 Will Benefit the Philippine Business and Economic Environment

One of the greatest news for the Philippines is the Public Service Act of 2022. The following can be read from the Philippine News Agency regarding President Rodrigo R. Duterte's signing of the new law into action: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday signed into law a measure amending the Public Service Act (PSA), allowing up to 100 percent foreign ownership of public services in the country. Republic Act (RA) No. 11659 or "An Act Amending Commonwealth Act No. 146 otherwise known as the Public Service Act” as amended was signed by Duterte in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace in the presence of lawmakers and other officials. Under the amended PSA, the telecommunications, railways, expressways, airports, and shipping industries will be considered public services, allowing up to 100 percent foreign ownership in these sectors. Duterte also led the ceremonial presentation of newly enacted laws namely RA 11647 which amends the Foreign Investments Act; RA 11650, whic...

My Thoughts on the NOT So Surprising Downfall of "Axie Infinity"

llustration: Daniel Guerrero Fernandez for Bloomberg Businessweek I remembered some time ago when I wrote about Axie Infinity . One article I wrote about why I never bothered to enter the Axie Infinity arena was the poor security . I compared it to a cockfighting game--a game where so few win and so many lose. A previous article I wrote was all about why play-to-earn games are too good to be true . What's not too surprising is the collapse of Axie Infinity . It's pretty much too good to be true. A casual gamer can testify that they buy online passes not to earn but to play . It's like buying a Playstation Plus card to play online for an entire year. You buy games out of the money you earn. You don't earn money out of gaming. What truly never surprised me was how Axie Infinity crashed. It promised riches but onoy resulted to disaster. I even wrote that there could be an ironic moment somebody says that AXA is a scam while playing Axie Infinity thinking that it's an...

Teaching Mandarin Through Meaningful Conversations, Not Meaningless Parroting Without Understanding

As I try to criticize the old way of teaching Chinese, I also recall why I didn't like studying it. I had an interest in learning the language but the approach was too much memorization. One of the many problems was turning children into robots and parrots . Eventually, I lost learning because getting a high grade was the end of it all. I compare that to the arcade experience where a game never ends. If you've played many arcade games in the 1980s--you may realize that the games are only focused on getting a high score rather than learning a curve. It would be different if people started talking about what they learned in studying the ethnic Chinese language (華語, read as Huáyǔ). What interest was there anyway if we only compared scores? I had a lot of what's called boi seng in Amoy (failing mark) because I didn't like to study because of extreme memorization . I found this basic conversation on how Boi Toi (termed as question or 問題, read as Wèntí in Mandarin)...

April 1 Humor: When Chicken Restaurants Create Some Funny April Fool's Ads

It's April Fool's Day, and what's April Fool's Day without some friendly humor? Here's some crazy stuff I found on Facebook: This one is way too ridiculous. I confess I'm a fan of Bok Korean Fried Chicken. However, I still prefer Bonenone Korean Chicken at A.S. Fortuna, Banilad, which still tastes better IMHO. My only problem with Bonenone is the difficulty in getting a parking space. However, Bok in IT Park can be a quick fix. So far, no restaurant should be stupid enough to give free chicken, for bringing a live chicken . This Mang Inasal ad made me think, "Cool, there's mocha ice cream." However, the description from the Facebook page made it a clear joke. Looking at the caption, "Pwede ring hindi." meaning "Maybe not," with the laughing icon proves it's just a joke! This one would be totally a joke. Hopefully, Dairy Queen will offer mint chocolate after this joke. It's definitely not advisable to swallow toothpaste....

Cardinal Coffea: Cardinal Bakeshop's Fabulous Coffee Shop at Capitol Site

I remembered back when we got bread from Cebu Cardinal Bakeshop. The time came when what would start out as a bakeshop opened its coffee shop at Don Gil Garcia corner, Don Jose Avila, Cebu City. Here's a bit of history from Cebu Bulletin to understand its history: This bakeshop is run by the Ong couple since 1999. Leewin, who was an engineer by profession, decided with his wife to give baking a shot – and the rest, they say, is history. Cebu Cardinal Bakeshop is popular all over Cebu City for its reasonably priced pastries and cakes. Their most sought-after treats include cheese rolls with queso de bola which earned its 3rd consecutive Best Specialty Bread award from SunStar Cebu, chiffon cakes, and cookies. Passersby are familiar with the bakeshop’s signature smell of delicious pastries that are baked fresh every day. Cebu Bulletin Here's a picture of the interior of Cardinal Coffea. It's a very elegant, business-like atmosphere. I could remember a number of times when I ...

The "Kahit Konting Awa" Attitude Wouldn't Help Alleviate Anyone from Poverty

As the countdown to Christmas continues--it's easy to expect the toxic Filipino trait that I'll dub as "Kahit Konting Awa". The literal meaning is "Just a Little Pity". I named it after that song by Nora Aunor, the theme song of The Flor Contemplacion Story . I wasn't a bit surprised when the hit movie was uploaded on VIVA Films' YouTube page last 2013 (read here ). Back on the topic, I noticed it's easy for people to desire to reconcile because it's the Christmas season. The Philippines has the longest Christmas season. However, people love to do last-minute Christmas shopping presumably due to their poor budgetary habits. Ever heard of the one-day paycheck pandemic in the Philippines? It's a common abusive trait in the Philippines to have that "Kahit Konting Awa" attitude. There's the problem of "Utang (debt) is life." It's no surprise that financial literacy is that low in the Philippines. A not fun fact a...

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