Yatlauh: the bestIn China, from the Tang to the Ching dynasty, nine ranks of officials existed. The highest and first level was known as yatlauh. I attended the Writer's Digest West Conference this past Saturday. It was yatlauh, fulfilling and exceeding all my expectations. Let me break down my experience into three parts:1) Jamie Ford, the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: As a keynote speaker, he discussed being true to yourself and pursuing a story that resonates with … [Read more...]
Colorful Casting
August 13, 2012 Leave a Comment
Gunjih leuhnggo hau: the officials have two mouthsWithin the character for "official" appears two mouths (they look like square boxes). Regular people use one mouth. This phrase means that those in power can speak much louder. Whether they're right or wrong, you still have to listen to them. Some things are out of one's control. When a writer gets their work turned into a movie, it transitions out of their hands. Film adaptations require different skills. That's why there are … [Read more...]
Who Am I?
June 18, 2012 3 Comments
Hahmbahlaahng: allAncient Han language, dialects of northern China, and foreign languages collude to form Cantonese. The word hahmbahlaahng came from the spoken language of northern China during the Yuan dynasty. While "hahp" means all, "bala" is an empty morpheme, a sound without meaning tacked onto the end of an adjective. What happens to our identity when we, like the Cantonese dialect, come from multiple origins? Best-selling novelist Lisa See's lineage holds both Chinese and Caucasian … [Read more...]
