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Transcript of Ccgm newsletter summer 2015
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 1
The AGM was held on the 7th July and I would
like to thank the members for their support at
the AGM, including those who had sent in their
proxy forms.
At this AGM, we were very pleased to confirm
the appointment of Rita Wong as our new
committee member. Rita is very keen to bring in
more ideas and spend time with our members.
Please join me to offer our warmest welcome to
Rita Wong. We were very pleased to have both
Alex and Eugene re-elected to the committee
after retiring from the committee.
We agreed that without the Wimbledon Guild’s
support, our group would not be able to cover
the costs on renting a venue and hiring a Taiji
teacher so we thank the Guild for their
continuing support. We were very pleased that
our account was balanced and had been audited
accordingly. I’d like to thank Mrs Ruth Cooke
for her help in auditing the accounts, and Ivy
Salvage for preparing the audit.
As proposed previously, now it has been agreed
that the group meeting time will be 2.30-4.30pm
starting in September. Please do help to spread
the word; we hope the change can help people
with child-care commitments.
I urge you to attend our regular group meetings
and hope that our members can achieve a
healthier and happier day after the meeting.
CHINESE CULTURAL GROUP MERTON SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 19th July 2015
Word from the Chair - Sissi Wong
Inside this issue
Red Tape 2
Events Calendar 2
Aubergine with Pork recipe 3
Common Generation Name 4/5
Night Thoughts 5
Acupuncture 6
Chinese Medicinal Plants in Gardens 6
CCGM Programme 7
Tai Chi Sessions in the Summer 7
Sweet Potato - Orange v White Variety 8
夏 Welcome to an exciting Summer 2015 issue. Paul Hider is grappling with an identity crisis in China.
Gabriel Toyos is not only showing us that cooking Chinese food does not have to be complicated or
expensive in Wimbledon, it can be delicious, too. On the food topic, Rita Wong-Kam investigates the health
benefits of orange and white sweet potatoes. Jacques K Lee unravels the complexities of Chinese common
generation names while Eugene Byrne reflects on the importance of the moon in Chinese literature.
Acupuncture is not just about “pins and needles” and if you ever wonder about its origins and uses, and
discover the versatility of the broadleaf plantain in medicine and cooking, read the articles on page 6.
Enjoy the rest of the summer break with tai chi in Morden Hall Park and experience Korean culture in
Trafalgar Square - more details in the CCGM programme and events calendar.
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 2
Red Tape by Paul Hider 海 德
There’s a reason why civil servants world-wide are
often called “mandarins”. Bureaucracy and red tape
have been rampant in China for millennia and even
now show little sign of getting more efficient.
Administrative jobs in local or national Government,
unlike in the West perhaps, are highly sought-after
here for their stability, pensions and - how should I
put it? - “opportunities for additional unofficial
funding”… For a foreigner living in China it is usually
a confusing, frustrating and very opaque process to
get anything official done. Some laws in China are
effectively “ignored” (police don’t bother to enforce
the smoking ban in restaurants or fine when electric
bikes have more than two people on them or make
any effort to deter ubiquitous bus-stop pick-pockets)
whilst others are rigidly applied, regardless of any
common sense.
A case in point. My son, JD, was born in Kunming two
years ago. Registering his birth was tortuous,
involving seven visits to five different offices all over
town, each requiring paperwork from the office
before but none having a simple, “Here’s what you
have to do” checklist. His birth certificate only had
space for a 4 character name, so we had to use his
Chinese name Zhu Pin Xiu (朱 品 修). Later, we
applied for a British passport and, as passports have
to tally with birth certificates, that now bears his
Chinese name too. The tape was only just starting to
get redder! Being born in China with at least one
Chinese parent, JD is considered to be a Chinese
citizen by the authorities here and his British
passport can’t be used for identification as China
does not recognise dual nationalities. So how do we
get JD to the UK for a visit? He can fly within China
using his Birth Certificate but, without a passport, he
can’t travel internationally. If he gets a Chinese
passport the British won’t issue a visa in it (as he’s
already a British citizen as far as Britain is
concerned). And he can’t leave China on an
unrecognised British passport. The solution involves
multiple and lengthy visits to the Public Security
Bureau to apply for an Entry/Exit Certificate which
allows “Chinese” children to leave the country
without a Chinese passport. Getting the Certificate
requires paperwork which took me a week to get
together. I even had to supply the PSB with a hand-
written letter “promising to return JD to China” (not
that anyone there could read English, let alone my
writing). So now JD will fly to Beijing using his Birth
Certificate, leave China with his Entry/Exit Certificate
and enter Britain with his British passport!
Now, what could possibly go wrong?
www.paulinchina.info Life in China - Article #12
Exit and Entry Permit certificate
For a summer of activities and local events, click on the link to Merton Events Calendar:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/news-events/events/eventscalendar.htm
Experience the wonders of Korean culture, food and music at the London Korean Festival in Trafalgar
Square on 9th August 2015:
http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/42226448-london-korean-festival-2015
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 3
Aubergine with Pork – A Great Recipe for any Day of the Week!
By Gabriel Toyos
Complicated recipes are quite rightly left aside for
high days and holidays but some of the easiest recipes
go untried in many kitchens.
Here’s a simple cheap meal that anyone can make
quickly. It is healthy, delicious and impressive!
The quality of the dish depends on the aubergine. You
could serve this with white rice and a steamed green
vegetable in season, for example – and it will be
enough for two moderately hungry people.
The recipe has been slightly adapted from Hunan: A
Lifetime of Secrets from Mr Peng's Chinese Kitchen by
Qin Zie and Mr Peng (Preface Publishing).
Inspired by China, made in Wimbledon
Photo by Gabriel Toyos
Ingredients
100g of minced belly of pork. If you don’t have a mincer or food processor dice it as small as you can get it with your sharpest knife.
One aubergine, cut into five cm batons.
200 ml of water.
One teaspoon of cornflour (mixed with a little water first) for thickening the sauce.
One teaspoon of white wine vinegar.
Half a teaspoon of sesame oil.
A little sunflower oil for frying.
Coriander leaves for garnish at the end.
For the sauce
Three tablespoons of chicken stock.
One teaspoon miso paste.
Two garlic cloves, finely chopped
A quarter of a fresh red chilli, finely sliced (I’d add a small dried red bird’s eye chilli too).
Ten coriander stalks, finely chopped.
Salt and sugar to taste.
Method
Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste
Heat a little oil in a wok until almost smoking. Add the pork mince and cook until it changes colour.
Add the aubergine and gradually add the water (use your discretion) – just enough to soften the aubergine – this will take three to four minutes.
Add the sauce to the wok and stir through before adding the cornflour, the vinegar and the sesame oil. When the sauce has thickened, it is ready to serve. Enjoy!
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 4
Common Generation Name by Jacques K. Lee
Continued on Page 5
If you are Chinese, do you have a three-syllable
surname, that is, with three characters? Most Chinese
who have settled outside China have adopted the use
of a single character surname but that doesn’t
necessarily mean they were not registered at birth
with other names.
In China Mao Zedong was responsible for many
people changing their names, but that’s another story.
What we are now seeing is citizens of that country
using names that have nothing to do with our age-old
tradition, such as Lang Lang. In the past only animals
were given such two-character ‘twin’ names, such as
the well-known panda, Chi Chi.
In the UK there are still many Chinese who have not
changed their traditional three-syllable names to just
the clan name, and may be known as, say, Lam Kee
Tang, instead of just Lam. So what is a Chinese
common generation name? In the case of this
fictitious name: Lam is the surname or clan name, Kee
is the given or middle name, in the West increasingly
referred to as your first name with the surname as
your last name. In Chinese, whether when spoken or
written, this last name is always given first, followed
by the other two names to complete the system of
three-character names.
So is Tang just another given name like a British baby
may be christened John Peter Michael? No, Tang is
your common generation name chosen by your
elders. All your siblings, also your cousins of the same
generation, will have this same name. In my case, for
example, my common generation name is Chen. All
my brothers also have Chen as part of their names. So
have all my cousins in China, sons of my father’s
brothers. The name Chen therefore denotes that
we’re all Lees of the 22nd generation. My children,
the 23rd generation, and their cousins have their own
generation name, Sen.
Exceptions to the rule
But there are exceptions to the general rules and this
is where the fun begins! In some families the
generation name is shown as the second name and
not the third. Some lineage alternates the position
from generation to generation. Now when Chinese
names are written in Pinyin, the second and third
characters are often merged as one word, eg Lam
Keetang. Daughters may have different generation
names from their brothers but not always as there
are local variations in the creation of these names.
Cousins on your aunts’ side have the generation name
of their fathers and therefore different from yours.
One thing which you will not find in Chinese names is
a person with a long name consisting of several
syllables, such as Ravensbotham. In short this is
because each Chinese character is one complete
‘word’ with just one meaning. But as I said above,
things are changing even in China.
Advantages and disadvantages
Why hang on to this old system if you now live
outside China? Is it to do with when in Rome, do as
the Romans? The main disadvantage is it makes it
more difficult on a daily basis for the bureaucrats and
foreign friends to deal with your names but it still has
some advantages.
I will use Mauritius to give you an example. This is a
country with a small, mainly Hakka-speaking Chinese
population. Let’s say our Mr Lam Kee Tang has been
in the news and is reported in the newspapers only as
Mr Joseph Lam (most Mauritian Chinese are now
Christians). There are hundreds of Lams on this
island and people reading about a Joseph Lam will
not be sure whether they know this one. But with all
three names being mentioned, you may remember a
school friend or an acquaintance called Lam with the
generation Tang. This will instantly inform you that
this person in the news may be a brother or cousin of
someone you know.
In the old days in China, when two men met for the
first time, it was important to know how to address
each other correctly and respectfully. Once
introduced, they would have known straightaway if
they were cousins or which one was of a senior
generation, peeh (輩), and therefore to be addressed
as ‘uncle’.
If you are Chinese and are expecting a baby, you
should seriously consider whether to give it a
common generation name. Your child may not use
this name in their daily life but at least they would
have it on paper. Ask your elders what the current
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 5
Night Thoughts by Eugene Byrne
I've recently become interested in the importance of
the moon in Chinese thought and literature. Classical
literature is full of this. The best examples are found
in the poets of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), who
wrote many poems in which their wives were gazing
at the moon and thinking that their husbands were
perhaps also gazing at the same time, so that in a
sense they were united. An English woman academic
once dryly pointed out to me that that was because
the poems were all written by men. But I suggest that
there was a reason for that: in those days the only
people who could write were the literary class, the
educated mandarin officials, and they were usually
posted to some province away from home so as not to
interfere with their administrative allegiance to
Peking.
The greatest Tang poet is considered by many to be Li
Bo (or Li Bai; 701 -762), who was not an official but a
writer, together with his great contemporary Du Fu.
Li Bai liked a drink, and is said to have died when,
crossing over a river in a small boat, he leant over the
side to embrace the reflection of the moon in the
water, and fell in. He had been composing a poem so
no doubt he died in a good cause. He is the author of
perhaps the most famous classical poem, the four-line
Night Thoughts:
generation name is or if it’s your first and the start of a new generation, then you will be advised of an
appropriate name in accordance with the Chinese ‘bible’, the almanac that Chinese elders consult on such
occasions. In some families the chosen name may be taken from a well-known poem and the name of each
generation is taken from another word in that poem. That’s why some generation names may have no
connection at all with your family, such as Star or Soldier.
I would like to end this article by saying that I am not an expert on Chinese common generation names. What
I have written is what I have heard and understood from my parents and relatives from China. These China-
born Chinese in Mauritius had a habit of asking ‘What is your peeh?’ after you had told them your name.
The bright moon shone before my bed,
I wondered – was it frost upon the ground?
I raised my head to gaze at the clear moon,
Bowed my head remembering my old home.
Here translated by Innes Herdan. More of this in our
next issue. Comments by our Chinese readers are
welcome.
Continued from Page 4
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 6
Acupuncture by Alex Roney
We all know about Acupuncture – but what exactly is it and when did it originate?
Traditional acupuncture started in China about 5,000 years ago. It is a system of healing, and can also be used
to provide pain relief, and even anaesthetic effects.
Chi energy is at its core – using the energy which flows around the body to diagnose problems, and promote
healing where necessary. Some people would call chi the life force, and it is easy to see that where things are
out of balance in either the mind or the body, then imbalances result in illness or malfunction. Symptoms
signal the imbalance.
Acupuncture and the use of fine needles taps in to the chi flow to help to restore balance by using the
traditionally identified acupuncture points on the body.
An examination prior to using acupuncture will incorporate asking questions, listening and looking and
feeling to identify problems.
In Chinese medicine, the whole body and its environment are looked at to establish causes of symptoms.
10 Chinese Medicinal Plants You Can Find in Your Garden by Sissi Wong
4/10 Plantago major (broadleaf plantain or
greater plantain) 寬葉車前 "roadweed"
A species of plantago, family Plantaginaceae, the
broadleaf plantain is native to most of Europe and
northern and central Asia but is found all over the
world. It is one of the most abundant and
accessible medicinal herbs. A poultice of the leaves
can be applied to wounds, stings, and sores in order
to facilitate healing and prevent infection. The active
chemical constituents are aucubin (an anti-microbial
agent), allantoin (which stimulates cellular growth
and tissue regeneration), and mucilage (which
reduces pain and discomfort). Plantain has
astringent properties, and a tea made from the leaves
can be drunk to treat diarrhoea and soothe raw
internal membranes.
Broadleaf plantain is also a highly nutritious wild,
edible plant, that is high in calcium and vitamins A, C,
and K. The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, and
the older, stringier leaves can be boiled in stews and
eaten.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
It is well known that the Chinese use almost everything on our planet for their medicines. This information
is provided to you mainly for your interest and is not intended to encourage you to try.
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 7
All meetings are conducted in English for anyone interested in Chinese culture at Drake House, 44 St
George’s Road, London SW19 4ED on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, beginning with 45 minutes of Taiji Qigong
Shibashi exercises followed by a talk or activity. £3.00 per session (Tea & refreshments included).
Leonie Tarratt will continue with Taiji Qigong exercises once a month for an hour session, and lead a specific
type of Taiji for treatment or prevention of arthritis, back pain, diabetes with a special variation for over
55's. The programme is subject to change.
£5.00 for annual membership from 1st April to 31st March.
Please note that from September 2015, the meetings will start at a new time from 2.30-4.30 pm.
CCGM Programme: July to December 2015
Date Programme Speaker
21st July 3.00-5.00 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Russian Boxes
Leonie Tarratt Alex Roney
August: Closed for the Summer break
1st September 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Treasurer’s birthday celebration/Wild China DVD
Alex Roney Eugene Byrne
15th September 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Mid-Autumn Festival
Leonie Tarratt Sissi Wong
6th October 2.00-3.00 pm
Visit to the Thai Buddhist temple:
Meet at: 14 Calonne Rd, London SW19 5HJ at 1.30 pm.
Bus 93 going towards Putney and alight at Calonne
Road bus stop, before Parkside Hospital.
£3.00 paid in advance by 15th September 2015
http://www.buddhapadipa.org/contact-us/
Rita Wong-Kam
20th October 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Chung Yeung Festival– Speaker TBC
Leonie Tarratt
3rd November 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Chinese Film Part 1
Alex Roney Eugene Byrne/Rita Wong-
Kam
17th November 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Chinese Film Part 2
Leonie Tarratt Eugene Byrne/Rita Wong-
Kam
1st December 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Chinese immigration in Mauritius
Alex Roney Rita Wong-Kam
15th December 2.30-4.30 pm
Taiji Qigong Shibashi Christmas party
Leonie Tarratt Alex Roney/Helen Chiew/
Sissi Wong
Leonie Tarratt will run Tai Chi and Qigong sessions in Morden Hall Park on Thursday 30th July & Thursday
6th August. We will meet at the cafe near the main car park at 11 a.m. and these free sessions normally last
for 1½ - 2hrs.
Leonie will also run 3 sessions at St Mary’s Church Hall, Church Lane, London SW19 3HJ on Wednesdays
12th, 19th and 26th August at 10.30a.m. to 12.30 p.m. at a charge of £6.50 per session. Tea and biscuits will be
provided. The sessions will focus on Tai Chi for Arthritis programme, 32 Sun Style Form, Qigong Shibashi
and 24 Form Yang Style Tai Chi.
Chinese Cultural Group Merton Summer 2015 Issue – Edited by Helen Marti Page 8
Sweet Potato- The orange versus the white variety by Rita Wong-Kam
Chinese Cultural Group Merton
Growing up in Mauritius I was always aware of the
health benefits of the sweet potato and ginger dessert
soup (番薯姜汤糖水- fan shu jiang tang tang shui).
The soup is believed to warm our constitution and
expel toxins. With a hint of sweetness and strong
ginger kick, it’s like a warm hug in a bowl. It never
dawned on me then that there was more than one
variety other than the white one grown and
consumed in my native land. As a matter of fact there
are over 400 varieties of sweet potatoes available
today and they come in different textures and colours
- white, orange, purple, copper skin, yellow, light rose
etc…
Here in the UK one can still buy the white variety in
Chinese shops or other shops selling exotic crops.
However, the sweet potato widely sold in
supermarkets is of the orange variety which is more
powdery and softer in texture. Sales here have
rocketed as consumers are more aware of the health
benefits of this new superfood.
I personally buy the orange variety for roasting and
preparing my sweet potato and ginger soup but I find
the white variety ideal for making the fried sweet
potato and sesame balls, a popular snack made
during Chinese New Year. I had never delved deeper
into the matter until I watched a documentary on
Channel 4 last week (Superfoods: the real story- part
2/4) comparing the orange to the white variety of the
sweet potato.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/superfoods-
the-real-story
The programme tackled the health properties of the
orange over the white variety of sweet potatoes and
talked about the successful results of researches and
subsequent cross-breeding in Uganda where the
white variety was previously grown. Although
Uganda produces 3 million tons of sweet potatoes per
year (2nd biggest exporter after China), it was found
that malnutrition amongst the children was rife and
was even resulting in death. Children were becoming
blind and were in terrible pain because of lack of
micronutrients (e.g. vitamin A).
Scientific research has proved that the white variety
of sweet potato consisted purely of carbohydrate.
The orange variety on the other hand, is packed with
beta carotene which turns into vitamin A. After eight
years of research and crossbreeding the white and
the orange potato, Vitamin A deficiency in Uganda has
now been reduced by 40%. Whilst parents used to
take their children to hospital every week before the
project they now go every three months. Results have
therefore been truly positive.
Finally the next time I tuck into my orange sweet
potato with ginger soup, I shall be fully aware of the
fact that it does not just contain heart-warming and
revitalising properties, but is also good for my
eyesight!
Guild House, 30/32 Worple Road
Wimbledon, London SW19 4EF
For more information, contact
Helen Marti, CCGM secretary
on 0208 946 0735 (Tues/Thurs)
We welcome your contributions and feedback, and
would love to hear from you about Chinese culture,
history, food and contemporary events. Please email to
[email protected] or contact Helen
Marti relating to any queries on Chinese activities and
programme updates.
Check http://issuu.com/ccgm/docs for our archive file.